From the Series
The runner-up prize in the Your Street Gauteng Challenge was awarded to architect Marina Meyer for her proposal to create a steel display unit for street vendors, which also functions as seating.
Aiming to improve the standard of informal trading in South Africa, Meyer’s Sidewalk Showcase provides street vendors with a unique way to display their wire and bead creations to the public. As the craftsmen work eight-hour days, the units further provide comfortable seating throughout the day.
I really wanted to use my skills to benefit underprivileged communities, says Meyer.
Drawing on the strong history of steel in Johannesburg, Meyer’s Sidewalk Showcase is made from single sheets of glazed steel that is laser cut and folded into shape. The units are designed to allow for advertising, in the hope that corporate companies will support the craftsmen and their honest living.
Here street vendors Kennedy Mashusha and Lloyd Tandi explain that the units will provide a comfortable working area and make them feel proud of what they do.
The first of the Sidewalk Showcase units will be implemented on the corner of Jan Smuts and Bolton in Johannesburg, with the hope to extend all over the country.
