News

Last night Table Mountain National Park was awarded a commendation for outstanding environmental achievement in Environmental Conservation in the Architecture and Built Environment Award at the 2005 Cape Times Caltex Environmental Awards.

The award celebrated the restoration of the Platteklip Wash House in Deer Park. The Wash Houses were built in the 1880’s to accommodate the laundry needs of the burgeoning City of Cape Town. The washer women were mostly of Cape Malay descent and it was here that they kept the banned Quran alive through their vibrant oral tradition. With the advent of the automatic washing machine the buildings fell into disrepair.

Then in 2004, over 100 years later, Lucienne le Grange Architects were awarded the tender to restore the upper Wash House which now serves as luxury accommodation in the new Hoerikwaggo Table Mountain Trail.

Ends

Fiona Kalk
Communications Manager
Table Mountain National Park
tel: +27 021 701 8692
fax:+27 021 701 8773
[email protected]