UJ's Linda Lesolle takes regional win in 2022 Corobrik Student Architecture Awards
The University of Johannesburg's Linda Lesolle has been named a regional winner in the 2022 Corobrik Student Architecture Awards. His winning thesis seeks to rethink the railway infrastructure that historically shaped and divided the urban landscape in South Africa.
UJ's Linda Lesolle, a regional winner in the 2022 Corobrik Student Architecture Awards
Lesolle receives a R10,000 prize and the opportunity to compete in the national awards. “I am humbled to have won. I am grateful and appreciative to Corobrik for this platform, which recognises architectural talent,” says Lesolle. “It means a great deal to me. I look forward to showcase my thesis along other regional winners and being exposed to how other universities work.”
Entitled ‘Stimela: The re-urbanisation of a ghost train station’, Lesolle’s thesis reimagines train stations as an urban catalyst tool for future African cities and mobilities. According to the UN-Habitat Global Report on Human Settlements (2009), urban mobility is a key element of sustainable urbanisation in response to social and economic challenges in developing countries. This posits that mobility is far more than just the movement of people from one place to another, but refers to people’s accessibility and connectivity to different urban environments and opportunities.
Lesolle’s thesis focused on the vandalised and abandoned commuter rail stations along Johannesburg’s industrial mining belt as “a toxic site and acupuncture point for a design intervention”. It is a speculative project grounded within a pragmatic context, presenting a thought-provoking scheme for reimagining future rail infrastructure and African mobility.
35th Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year Awards - University of Johannesburg:
- Winner: Linda Lesolle, R10,000
- First Runner-up: Miliswa Ndziba, R8,000
- Second Runner-up: Gio Rech, R6,000
- Best Use of Clay Masonry: Tebogo Kgatla, R6,000
This year's national awards for the top title plus a R70,000 grand prize will be held in May.
