Legend
4.2: Durban Herb Trader's Market
(Urban Accommodation ofTHPs)
This case study demonstrates the current state of architecture accommodating THPs in urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa in general.
4.2.1. Context and Overview:
Like informal traders, herb traders are usually overlooked by the city councils and have very few formal shops. As a result they tend to situate themselves in nodes with high pedestrian flow, usually at transport interchanges. Trading occurs at places where there are bus ranks, taxi interchanges and market places.
Durban herb traders however have become the leaders of the commercialisation of TM in the country. They began by plying their trades along the pavements of the Warwick Junction area.
This intrusion by THPs left no space for pedestrian circulation thus increasing the need for overhead pedestrian paths
connecting the Victoria Street Bus terminus and the various taxi ranks. The OMM design workshop architects in partnership with the eThekwini municipality used the incomplete Queen Street on- ramp and the Victoria Street off-ramp to create pedestrian linkages. This provided THPs with a basic sheltered roof over their trading spaces, communal toilets, and small consulting rooms for THPs.
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Fig:55: location of the Durban Herb Trader's Market.
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Fig:56: Pedestrian flow of Durban Herb Trader's Market on a normal week day.
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4.2.1. Planning:
The shelters are positioned strategically at both edges of the existing bridge so as to allow for uninterrupted pedestrian flow on the central part of the bridge (fig:57). The most important aspect of this intervention is that the bridge creates a short-cut for pedestrians. Most pedestrians find it convenient, in this way the herb traders get maximum exposure for their business.
On the other hand, the ever-growing demand for Traditional Medicines and limited provision of space has led to the central circulation space of the bridge being used for drying
medicines; again this hinders the pedestrian flow on the bridge.
Around the bridge the city has built a number of shops or consulting rooms for indigenous healers. The design of these spaces does not seem to follow any of the THPs' design principles explored in the previous case study. The whole arrangement is in a liner form, no additional space is available for rituals or for the indigenous healers' holistic approach to healing. The room sizes are inadequate for the basic functions needed by each practitioner, i.e. selling, conSUlting, muthi preparation and storage. Most users during the interview complained that the complex only has one communal toilet.
Ablutions need to be at close proximity to THPs as they often work individually and cannot leave their shops unattended. The complex also has no water for users; the only place with water is the ablution area. According to Mr. Zungu who is inyanga and a shop owner, the shortage of water makes indigenous healers seem unhygienic. Most indigenous healers consider the lack of electricity and water supply in "South Africa's biggest herb market" as a sign of disrespect. To them it shows that city
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Fig: 57: Typical section through the bridge.
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officials have a wrong impression about the professionalism of their practices.
4.2.2. The Concept of a Cultural Shopping Centre:
The tourist interest in indigenous healing has resulted in the TM trading and African crafts becoming more and more inseparable. In some areas of the Herb Trader's Market circulation is obstructed by the display of African crafts made by artistic indigenous healers (Fig: 58). THPs crafts includes utensils such as short spears for izasangoma and long spears for cow slaughtering. The belief is that people who come to the bridge are mostly from rural areas seeking work or working in the city. They have a strong cultural background;
as a result the bridge has become a shopping centre where people do not only buy medicines but other cultural necessities as well. This restores the belief that indigenous healers play a very important role in cultural preservation. The concept of a cultural shopping centre is undoubtedly valuable in an urban context of herb-trade. Due to both the tourists' attraction to the profession and the need for cultural materials associated with traditional healing, it seems inevitable that a healthcare facility for THPs should include other components such as an art gallery and selling of African crafts in an area appropriately designed for such functions.
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Fig:SS: Linear arrangement of shops
& African art as part of the trading.
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4.2.3. The Information Centre:
On the upper floors of the Herb Trader's Market there are administrative offices where THPs pay their rent. Some of the indigenous healers have never had formal education, as s result the eThekwini Municipality provided them with class rooms and teachers to give them basic education as they deal with large sums of money every day of their lives. They also have lectures and presentations from different authorities involved in the development of TM. This educational aspect is fundamental to the development of TM and collaboration with biomedicine. It is recommended therefore that all architectural interventions incorporate it.
The meeting and class rooms are all designed in a climatic responsive manner. All rooms are cross-ventilated and naturally lit. Every window has a sun control device designed specifically for its orientation. Although the placing of sun control devices on the interior wall seems aesthetically pleasant, the flexibility of space is jeopardised. The earthy colours and the patterns used on the floor of the Information Centre evoke African medicines displayed on the bridge (Fig: 59). The manager's office has glass walls as this allows him to observe all rooms on the upper floor. There is a pleasant contrast between South African indigenous/ natural materials such as gum poles and man-made stainless steel lighting (fig:60). These contrasts are also
explored in the neighbouring bridge for informal traders, designed by Langa Makhanya architects (fig:61 & 62). The bridge combines contemporary building technology with the traditional gum pole construction.
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Fig:S9: meeting rooms on the upper floors of the Herb Trader's Market.
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Fig:60: multi-purpose class rooms for traditional healer's basic education. Author
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4.2.4. Conclusion:
The architects in partnership with the eThekwini Municipality are to be applauded on their success of regenerating lost space into a space that benefits the people of the city. As a revitalised space, the 'Muthi Bridge' definitely solves the problem of herb traders obstructing pedestrian circulation around the Warwick Junction transport interchanges. Nevertheless, buildings provide for THPs around the bridge seem to have lost the strong
architectural theories of indigenous healing. Priority is given to trading; as a consequence other functions of THPs are not catered for. The complex is purely functional with no
attempt to provide a healing environment or place making forTHPs.
The information centre discussed in (iv) above was designed by a different architect, Laren Beni. It is one of the most appropriate architectural interventions in the 'Muthi Bridge' complex. This is mostly because of the educational and meeting facilities it provides. The dramatic difference of the design quality between THPs' practice facilities and the information centre negates the whole purpose of having an educational component in this complex. For instance THPs are thought about hygienic preparation of medicines yet they have no space, water or electricity to practice what they learn. Also the information centre is located too far from the actual pedestrian bride. This seems to have a negative effect on the public-accessibility of the building.
The complex can be seen as an African Cultural Shopping Centre where tourists, researchers and people of the culture
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Fig:61: informal trading bridge by Langa Makhanya architects.
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Fig:62: South African (contemporary) trends in
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do not only buy African crafts but also enjoy the experience.
This is undoubtedly a strong and valuable aspect of THPs' facilities in an urban and commercial context.
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