Goals are important in soccer. And though we haven’t seen too many in the World Cup thus far, the City of Cape Town are focusing on a different kind of goal.
The City of Cape Town’s environmental programme for the World Cup, “Green Goal 2010” takes the form of an expo at the Fan Fest on the Grand Parade.
Creating by sustainable project managers Touching the Earth Lightly and ST&AR Architects the “Green Goal 2010 Expo” is a sustainable structure in the form of a cube, made using recycled, reused or reclaimed materials sourced within a 2.5 km radius of the site, significantly reducing the structure’s carbon footprint. Materials that were newly purchased have all been earmarked for reuse after the World Cup.
The exterior is clad in a matrix of 1 450 multi-coloured plastic milk crates containing 17 400 empty milk bottles, all tied to a scaffolding frame. Low-energy lighting illuminates the crates from behind, turning it into a glowing "jewel box" by night.
The objective of “Green Goal 2010” is to raise awareness about hosting an environmentally responsible World Cup and limiting the environmental impact of the games as much as possible. Inside the cube there are references to indigenous plants, and plaques and posters with information about the city’s green goals and sustainable interventions, from efficient water use to recycling, transport solutions and responsible waste management.