Informal use as public programming
#Stoeps and stairs as public space
Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, South Africa.
Stoeps of the Bo-Kaap
The stoeps of the Bo-Kaap define the edge of row houses. Some stoeps are more open and exposed allowing people in the public to sit on public porches. These are often the types of stoeps at the edge of small shops. Residential buildings have side stoep entrances with stairs and low balcony walls, allowing people in the community and residents to sit on the stairs for a rest, and to enjoy outdoor space with a sense of community belonging on the residential territorial footprint of the building. This creates a sense of user-based ownership for the stoep-sitter and a community surveillance onto the street.
Image by: The Inside Guide
The stoeps of the Bo-Kaap define the edge of row houses. Some stoeps are more open and exposed allowing people in the public to sit on public porches. These are often the types of stoeps at the edge of small shops. Residential buildings have side stoep entrances with stairs and low balcony walls, allowing people in the community and residents to sit on the stairs for a rest, and to enjoy outdoor space with a sense of community belonging on the residential territorial footprint of the building. This creates a sense of user-based ownership for the stoep-sitter and a community surveillance onto the street.
Image by: The Inside Guide
Unity Church of Hyde Park
Image by: Eric Rogers