City celebrates World Children’s Day with official opening of Dome Education Classroom at Green Point Park
20 November 2024
In celebration of World Children’s Day today, 20 November 2024 the City officially opened the much-anticipated Dome Education Classroom and Experiential Education Garden (EEG) in Green Point Park. This Dome classroom forms part of the City’s Experiential Education Garden (EEG) on the edge of the park and will serve as an outdoor environmental education space for learners and a safe place for visitors to immerse themselves in nature. Read more below:
The opening ceremony today featured an enjoyable cultural performance by the Rieldans Group from Dr. Van Der Ross Primary School in Belhar. The City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews addressed the group along with Subcouncil 16 Ward Councillor, Nicola Jowell.
‘I believe the EEG, including the new Dome structure, the exhibition and planned learner activities will reconnect our children, who are living in a city with our heritage and the environment in a creative and fun way. The Rieldans performance by the learners from Dr. Van Der Ross Primary School was also awe inspiring to witness. It gave me great joy to see that our children are preserving our heritage. I trust this new facility will assist in teaching our children more about the local history and its people,' said Alderman Andrews.
‘Cultural structures in parks play a significant role in linking people with nature and preserving historical and ecological heritage. As a site that is managed by the Strategic Assets Department within my directorate, we are firmly committed to maintaining and improving the Green Point Urban Park and making sure it remains a space for communities to learn and have fun,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos.
The Dome's design references the dwellings of the Khoi and pays tribute to their heritage as a First Nations group. The current exhibition outlines the design and development of the Dome and EEG. The next phase of the initiative will entail the development of an exhibition and educational programmes that address the history and heritage of the Khoi. These components will link to the present Khoikraal and information in the biodiversity showcase garden in the Green Point Park.
This is the first mass timber dome ever to be built in South African and internationally it is the first Three-dimensional mass timber dome to be built. Mass timber is the newest and greenest system of carbon conscious construction in the world today and the dome has been one of the catalysts for accelerating this construction in South Africa.
To enquire about booking educational programmes in the Dome Education Classroom and Experiential Education Garden (EEG) in Green Point Park, kindly e-mail: smartliving@capetown.gov.za.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
