Recent Projects

EOLA has worked on a number of notable projects, both commercial and local government.
Here are a few currently active and recently completed projects.

Khayelitsha City Park

A Multi-purpose Park for a New pedestrian-friendly City Centre

Public open space in the form of public parks plays an important role in the day-to-day functioning of a city. People living and working in cities generally spend their days cooped up in their houses or in their place of work. They have little opportunity to satisfy their need for spatial release, to be in and look out over unconfined spaces.

Realising the importance of this, the City of Tygerberg lead by the Directorate of Economic Development and Planning appointed Eamonn O'Rourke Landscape Architects to prepare a Design Framework study for the Khayelitsha City Park in the Central Business District.

At the outset there was consensus on the following broad objectives :

• the City Park must be designed in such a way as to allow growth and development over time as the CBD develops around it;
• the Park should express a unique quality of Khayelitsha;
• it should link with surrounding activities and tie in with the surrounding pedestrian open space system;
• and the design should encourage use of the park over extended hours and strive to provide a "24 hour" landscape.

The Retail Boulevard along the Pedestrian Spine from the Transport Terminal to the City Park

The City Park will be linked to Khayelitsha station with an East-West Pedestrian spine of approximately 350 meters from the western edge of the proposed city park.

This proposal includes a large Plaza around a central feature such as a Clock Tower, which serves as a focus point. The East-West Pedestrian Spine from Khayelitsha station connects to the City Park at this point. A pedestrian friendly crossing links the East-West Pedestrian Spine to the Plaza.

A building complex is located in the centre of the City Park. The building complex has been opened up to include courtyard spaces and two and three storey buildings centred on a landmark building such as a multi-denominational hall. These buildings would ideally house service and leisure activities and stay open for extended hours.

The complex, which is elevated to provided a visual break from the generally flat character of the site, would also have facilities for a tearoom and a restaurant.

Lookout Hill Boardwalk & Tourist Centre

A solution for Environmental Conservation and Tourism Development in Khayelitsha

Lookout Hill is a local name for a dune on a portion of public open space in Khayelitsha. This dune is all that remains of an area of the coastal dune system that was flattened a couple of decades ago for "township" development. The community of Khayelitsha initiated the idea of developing this previously neglected piece of public open space into a tourist destination with the aim of tapping into the "township tourism" industry which is growing in popularity.

EOLA was appointed in 1998 to prepare a Design Framework for Lookout Hill. EOLA studied the site and the area surrounding the site to compile an inventory of onsite and nearby assets and potential resources. The study also identified potential constraints and ways that these constraints could be converted into assets.

The origional concept grew during the course of the study, from a viewing platform accessed by a series of steps to something of much wider value within the community of Khayelitsha. The study discovered a surprisingly rich floral variety on the dune. Although the site is heavily invaded by Rooikrans (Acacia cyclops) there are large pockets of coastal fynbos to be found. Especially exciting, was the discovery of a plant listed as a Red Data Species, Skaapbostee (Otholobium fruticans).

Tourism Node fo Khayelitsha

This project is to become the tourism node of Khayelitsha. It will bring visitors from all over the world to Khayelitsha where they can sample the emerging tourism industry within Khayelitsha. Emerging tourism enterprises will have direct access to their target market through a tourist informatiom centre at Lookout Hill.

Local crafts industries will be able to display their wares at the craft market. Members of the community can be trained as tour guides for Lookout Hill with its surpringly rich ecological assests and also for areas of cultural interest within Khayelitsha.

This project will serve as a catalyst for the emerging tourism industry in Khayelitha. From here visitors will dare to explore farther afield, visiting guest houses and taverns, follow urban hiking trails and most importantly learn about and experience the positive aspects of life in Khayelitsha.