Up Up

The old and the new life in the modernist highrise| Johannesburg's mundane skyscrapers as contemporary witnesses of politial history

The old and the new life in the modernist highrise| Johannesburg’s mundane skyscrapers as contemporary witnesses of politial historyThe publication Up Up—Stories of Johannesburg’s Highrises presents a selection of buildings in the inner city of Johannesburg. The focus lies on tall modernist towers that stood out at the time they were constructed. Witnesses to profound shifts in the political history of the metropolis, the buildings have gone through immense changes. They are documented in two distinct sections: One the one hand the formal architecture is presented with facts, floor plans, archival discoveries and contemporary images of the interior and the exterior. On the other hand each building is accompanied by a reportage or subjective essay on the inner workings of the building. Interviews with residents, research based texts on contemporary issues and independent contributions from invited writers, artists and photographers allow brief insights into the old and new lives of these towers.