Heritage Guest Lecture

The Restoration of Aiton Court

Aiton Court is a seminal international style modernist apartment building located in Hillbrow, Johannesburg.  It was completed in 1937 by the young architects Bernard Cooke and Angus Stewart.  After a period of decline and neglect the building was restored in 2014 by Mayat Hart Architects for Trafalgar Property Group.  The buildings restoration has been widely locally and internationally published winning, in 2021, a prestigious inaugural Docomomo International Rehabilitation Award.  The presentation by Yasmin Mayat and Brendan Hart will be a reflection on the buildings restoration and the alternative modes of practice used to achieve it.  Yasmin and Brendan founded Mayat Hart Architects in 2012, a practice focuses on architectural, conservation and research work that explores Johannesburg’s often complex social and architectural history.

Yasmin Mayat

Yasmin Mayat is an architect and heritage practitioner.  She cofounded Mayat Hart architects in 2012 with Brendan Hart.  Yasmin holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Cape Town, architectural degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Masters in Conservation of the Built Environment from the University of Cape Town.  She sits on a number of professional and volunteer bodies and is an accredited professional member of the Association of Professional Heritage Practitioners.  In addition to professional practice Yasmin lectures honours level architectural history at the University of the Witwatersrand.  Yasmin lectures and is publishes on the topics of architectural history and conservation.

Brendan Hart

Brendan Hart cofounded Mayat Hart architects with Yasmin Mayat in 2012. Brendan holds architectural degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Master’s Degree in the Conservation of the Built environment from the University of Cape Town. He sits on a number of professional and volunteer organisations and is an accredited professional member of the Association of Professional Heritage Practitioners.  Brendan is a member of staff at the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand where he teaches post and undergraduate architectural history and supervises masters students.  Yasmin lectures and is publishes on the topics of architectural history and conservation.

Mayat Hart Architects

Mayat Hart Architects is a Johannesburg based architectural and heritage practice.  Founded in 2012 the practices work combines architecture, research, conservation and advocacy with considered projects that aim to respond to the rich and complex architectural and social history of the country.  The practices portfolio of projects and research has been widely locally and internationally published.  Award winning projects include the restoration of the iconic 1937 modernist building Aiton Court (winner of the 2021 Docomomo International Rehabilitation Award, shortlisted for the Knoll International Prize for Modernism), the Delville Wood Memorial in Longueval, France (winner of a South African Institute of Architects Award of Excellence, a Gauteng Institute for Architecture Award of Merit and a South African Property Association Award for innovation and excellence) and the Restoration of the Workers Museum Cottages (Gauteng Institute for Architecture Award).

Topic:

The Restoration of Aiton Court

Date:

24 August 2022

Time:

16:30

Venue:

Online

Cost:

Member: Free

Non-Member: R150.00