In as far as famous architectural landmarks go, France has the Eiffel Tower, China the Great Wall, Italy the Colosseum, Greece the Acropolis of Athens, Egypt the Great Sphinx, the United Kingdom Stonehenge, India the Taj Mahal, the United States the Statue of Liberty and Botswana the … what?
Well, nothing is official yet but on the basis of the consistency of its photographic use alone, the building that currently houses the Attorney General Chambers and the Directorate on Public Service Management should be able to claim such honour. This is far and away Botswana’s most iconic building and its image has been splashed in almost every document that advertises the country to the outside world. In much the same way that the manicured grounds of the Grand Palm Hotel are a standard feature in gospel music videos, there would probably be very few hip-hop music videos if the AGC/DPSM building did not exist.
Alongside it is the imposing headquarters of the Ministry of Health but photographically, the latter is accorded less importance even when the two structures are pictured together.
The vantage points from the front of the building offer much more spectacular shots than those from the back. However, it is highly unlikely that the latter could ever replace the now iconic postcard shot from the back and therein lies the peculiarity of all landmark photographs: they are only recognisable as such to the extent that they are depicted from the same vantage point as the original shot that popularised them. In short, the most recognisable shot of the AGC/DPSM building is one that was taken from the back at a particular time of day and will never be replaced.
Designed by Pramod Patel Architects, the AGC/DPSM building was the subject of an architectural competition which called for a ‘state-of-the-art’ structure that provided both an architectural landmark and statement. Of the companies that bid, a panel of jurists selected the design by the said company as the best. The total cost of the project was P146 million.
Information from the Department of Building and Electrical Services says that the building’s glazed curtain wall was imported from South Africa. This material was deemed ideal because it is faster to construct, is lighter in weight when compared with brick walls and allows various architectural free-flowing forms for better aesthetics. The building uses 120 watts per meter square due to the usage of high performance thermal insulating glass. As regards the provision of desirable temperature, the glass is as good as conventional brickwork. Glass also maximises the use of daylight, thereby reducing the dependence on artificial lighting in a building.
However, the building’s days as Botswana’s premier architectural landmark may be numbered. Across the road from where it is there is a concrete jungle rising from a piece of commercial property between Phase 2 and the railway line. With construction ongoing, it is still too early to tell what structure would replace the ten-storey AGC/DPSM building in postcards from Botswana.
