We’ve been trialling a new way to engage people in our research – using a clothes horse, a handful of pegs and some photographs of government buildings printed on cloth. The idea is a bit like an in-depth vox-pop. My colleague Selemo Nkwe and I arrive in a busy city centre, shopping mall or bus station and set up. We unfold our clothes horse and peg on the cloths. People are busy on their lunch-break or shopping, but they stare; some hesitate. We invite them to come and see,

The workshop will be held at the Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study (JIAS) and aims to exploit the rich potential architecture offers to the study of politics across Africa. We are looking for scholars working on politics and architecture using a variety of examples and perspectives to join a week-long cross-disciplinary discussion. The workshop takes place 1-7 December 2019 in Johannesburg. Living expenses are covered and there will be some travel bursaries available.

1960 This police station was originally named after John Vorster, Minister of Justice and then Prime Minister, the man who created many of apartheid’s most restrictive security laws. It was designed by South Africa architects, Harris, Fels, Sacks and Janes. Its large bulk, located in the heart of Johannesburg, asserted the segregation of black and white communities and the coercive power of the state. Several political prisoners died in detention here. Its modernist style is

2004 The Constitutional Court is the home for the body which protects South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution. It was designed by South African architects, OMM and Urban Solutions Architects and Urban Designers. The Court occupies the site of the Old Boer Fort and notorious 'Number Four' prison block in the heart of Johannesburg. The building reflects South Africa's brutal past – incorporating elements of the original fort and prison into the structure – and its overcoming