Mokena Makeka on why Cape Town is a design city

“I’m Mokena Makeka, and I support Cape Town for World Design Capital 2014.”

Mokena Makeka is principal architect and founder of Makeka Design Lab, and has been involved in the redesign of Cape Town Station. He was selected among 100 architects globally to be part of Ordos 100, is a two-time recipient of the CIA Award of Merit, and a 2010 nominee for the Johnnie Walker Celebrating Strides Awards in Design. He sits on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council for Design, is an external examiner at the Columbia University School of Architecture and lectures at the University of Cape Town. His vision is to create a sound African aesthetic that serves the public and client, bringing dignity and grace to the built environment.

What is design?

Design is about finding an intangible way of providing solutions to tangible problems and these solutions should inspire, excite, educate, involve and transcend mere functional requirements.

Is Cape Town a Design City?

Design and creative thinking is expressed in art and architecture, but equally in IT development, in political strategies, in social processes and is the engine of cultural evolution. So design is not only about products but also about processes and is a way of thinking laterally. In that respect Cape Town is definitely a design city. Design thinking is almost a framework through which you view the world and how you conduct yourself, engage with adversity and take advantage of opportunity.

Visit the Makeka Design Lab http://www.makekadesigns.com/  to see what public architecture in the city they have been involved in designing.