The establishment of a 52-hectare icon of humanity and freedom on what was the Salvokop Fort site, in Pretoria, is entering its second phase.

Engineering News spoke to keyplayers at the Freedom Park Trust about the park.

COO Machobane Mike Kekana oversees the operational aspects of the park.

He says the design had to be researched and considered in light of the heritage that the park represents.

The overall look of the park will be African, although it will involve modern building principles, as it will reflect the design and heritage of the African civilisation.

"As a nation, we pride ourselves on being diverse, so it will reflect all cultures without being focused on one group." The park is also to be a symbol of reconciliation and acknowledge the role that individuals have played in shaping the country.

The park already contains various elements – the entrance and an inform-ation kiosk are already there.

Leading away from the kiosk is a spiral path, drawn from Africanphilosophy, along which tourists can walk.

Kekana says the path spirals from a westerly direction to an eastern direction, to the seat of government in the Union Buildings.

The walking path is some 2 m wide and is a reflection of the journey of South Africans through history, allowing tourists to stop at a moment in time.

A ring road runs around the park and branches off at different places in the park.

Construction of the park fits in with the environment and the material used to build it represents this.

Uniting various religions is a lake, called Tiva, since lakes play a role in several belief systems.

Project manager Hendrik Prinsloo says the trust is at the design phase for the intermediate and second phases.

This includes an upgrade of the access roads, name memorials, the lake and a sculpture garden.

Kekana says the sculptural garden’s intention is to tell stories of South Africans and their lives.

Prinsloo says the intermediate phase should begin in January 2005.

This phase stems from the feeling that there had to be tangible evidence of people who lost their lives in variousconflicts.

This will be done through plaques bearing the names of those people.

Kekana says that the inclusion in phase one of an isivivane – a garden of remembrance – will be the final resting place for people who died in eight conflicts, and is a way of putting their spirits to rest.

Soil from where South Africans have died has been brought back. Part of the Isivivane is a circle of11 boulders, one representing each province and one each for local and national government.

The boulders have been sourced from the nine provinces and aretypical of the province.

Trees from each province were also collected to be planted although, unfortunately, not all of the trees responded well to climatic changes.

The circle represents the African belief that one should talk as equals; the concept of circles runs through the park.

The trickiest aspect to the construction is that the Gautrain will run underneath the park.

Prinsloo says the Gautrain will have an impact on the timeline, since construction of the train at the park should start in early 2005 and should take a year to complete.

But Kekana says there will be a positive aspect to this, as the train will provide access to the park.

Construction of the second phase is due to start in the middle of next year.

The main elements of this phase include the museum, a gathering space or amphitheatre, the presidential guest house and an administration block.

Stone mined in Limpopo Province has been used for construction, says Prinsloo.

The museum, an interactive space, will chronicle the conflicts that South Africans have been through.

Kekana says there were eight conflicts that had a profound influence on South Africa and these too will be represented. These are the Khoisan genocide, tribal inter-fighting, colonisation and resistance, the two World Wars, the Anglo-Boer war and the liberation struggle.

Several important discoveries have been made in South Africa and these will be incorporated into the museum,tracing history back 3,6-billion years.

To ensure the accuracy of theinformation, consultants in the fields of palaeontology and archaeology will be asked to assist. The history will be represented in sculptures, research documents and in artefacts around the park and within the museum.

Prinsloo says the Pan-African archive will be closely related to the museum – its core purpose is as a depository of knowledge on Africa.

The presidential palace, or Moshate, will allow presidents to receive dignitaries.

The aim is to have the park com-pleted by 2008, including the library, commercial precinct and conference centre.

Phase one, completed in March this year, cost R40-million.

Despite an international competition for architects, none of the entrants were deemed suitable. Instead, three local firms have teamed up together, chosen for experience in museums and heritage – Gapp, MMA Architects and Mashabane Rose Associates.