Westbury Clinic scoops top international award
Westbury Clinic was rebuilt at a cost of R33 million and was officially opened by mayor Herman Mashaba in December last year.
The City of Joburg has scooped a top international award at the World Architecture Festival in Germany for its work and design of the Westbury clinic on November 21.
The clinic was rebuilt at a cost of R33 million and was officially opened by mayor Herman Mashaba in December last year.
It has been providing quality health care to over 550 000 residents of Westbury.
The clinic has 18 consulting rooms which are used by nurses and social workers, as well as an isolation room, a youth chill room and a health promotional room.
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Nadia Tromp of Ntsika Architecture, who scooped the award for her design of the clinic said she was grateful that her work was being recognised at home and internationally.
“I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to design the Westbury Clinic. The community is part of this award and I will always remain indebted to all involved in the project,” said Tromp.
She said that the award also sends a message to women across the country that they should believe in their dreams and work hard to realise them.
Judges at the festival had this to say about the Westbury Clinic architecture entry: “The building offers up a new public space in a troubled neighbourhood that has been marred by gang violence and substance abuse over the years since apartheid, providing a much-needed amenity to service 550,000 patients from a marginalised community.
“Consulting its local, marginalised community in developing the design and removing fences from the building’s boundaries contributed to a result that judges commended for “creating a building that reaches beyond its clinical programme and becomes a new communal centre for Westbury.”
MMC of Health and Social Development, Dr Mpho Phalatse, congratulated the winning architect Nadia Tromp for her design of Westbury Clinic and the Joburg Development Agency for managing the project.
“It’s important that we celebrate this award as it not only confirms the talent we have in the country but adds to the quality infrastructure that we are rolling out across the city.”
MMC for Development Planning, Funzela Ngobeni, said nothing reaffirms the passion of a dedicated professional for their work like being recognised on a global stage.
Ngobeni said that the award showcases the high level of ingenuity, creativity and skills South Africa has to compete and be the best of the best, globally.
“There is no doubt that we have a difficult task ahead of us in transforming Johannesburg. It is developments like the Westbury Clinic that allow us to go beyond the call of duty – to immerse ourselves in giving those in need a better life. Slowly but surely Johannesburg is taking shape.
“We will work tirelessly to implement the plans we have for the city, however, the plans are far larger than the Department of Development Planning.”
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Cllr Ngobeni added that it is only with key role players in the city, such as the Department of Health, that we can gravitate towards the realization of the Spatial Development Framework 2040.
“This policy document will not only grant us the ability to transform the city through more spatial development but also allow for the emancipation of the poor and previously disadvantaged.
“Well done to the JDA team for their exceptional work and for, yet again, showing the world that the needs of our residents are at the forefront of the work we love to do,” said Ngobeni.
