On Friday 4 May 2018, one of South Africa’s formidable architectural firms, the Creative Axis in association with the Mayat Hart Architects, received an award for excellence for The Delville Wood Memorial. This award was conferred onto them at the prestigious Corobrik SAIA Institute of Architects (SAIA) Awards evening in Pretoria. This evening was set about as an opportunity to acknowledge South Africa’s leading and prominent architects. One hundred-and-eighty architects from all over South Africa came together at this distinguished event, run nationally every two years, in celebration and pursuit of excellent and responsible design.
The award of excellence is the highest distinction that SAIA can award to a project in South Africa, and the Creative Axis is, one of six architectural firms that had the privilege of receiving such an esteemed award.
In accordance with SAIA’s mission, the Creative Axis managed to sustain dignity in their professional design, thereby substantially contributing to the improvement of our society and environment. SAIA also acknowledge that their work, along with various others, made use of sustainable and natural resources that ultimately foster and advance the environment – designs that can be used as a yardstick to global designs.
The Delville Wood Memorial was erected in memory of the Delville Wood battle during the First World War (WW1). It pays tribute to the South Africans, and especially the South African Native Labour Corps, who had given their lives during this tragic time and obtained no acknowledgment for their bravery. This beautiful and exquisite piece of architecture, provided to us by young architects, adequately expresses and reflects on the historic way of history and power.