This unusual project was undertaken by the French Embassy with sponsorship and technical support from French corporations - Total, Schneider and Lafarge - following initial suggestions from the Johannesburg Development Agency.

The project is situated on the centre of a traffic circle at the beginning of Kliptown as one enters from Union Road and provides an impressive foreground to the newly constructed Walter Sizulu Square of Dedication, which forms part of an extensive R400m development which includes some 7000 housing units, community centre, taxi rank, museum and retail developments.

Patrick Rimoux, the world renowned French light sculptor - who was also responsible for the conceptual designs for Mary Fitzgerald Square and Nelson Mandela Bridge - designed a series of nine concrete columns to symbolize the concept of freedom as embodied by the Freedom Charter. The nine monoliths are positioned in a circle to represent human figures as well as the nine provinces of South Africa converging towards the centre as a metaphor to the gathering state, as initiated by the Congress of the People here in Kliptown in 1955 which resulted in the signing of the Freedom Charter.

Patrick Rimoux says of his design, "I did not wish to keep the design too simplistic, for example having black monoliths facing white monoliths. Rather, I've envisaged a more poetic and sensual work regarding the skin and texture of the concrete used for the four walls of the monoliths."

The monoliths vary in size from the smallest at 1.6 by 1.1m to the largest at 3.2m by 1.2m and heights ranging from 14 to 18m. The texture and colour of the columns also varying from exposed white or black granite chips to a smooth white or black concrete finish. A clear protective sealant was applied to the outer surface of each column to ensure the longitivity of the attractive faces.

Each column has a single piece woven stainless steel mesh fitted to enclose the central recess, which serves to provide form to the structure as well as providing a contrasting reflecting surface for both the natural and artificial lighting.

The artificial lighting was designed to provide three distinct functions:-

1) Narrow beam 150W metal halide floodlights were positioned in recesses in the front of each column to highlight the black or white concrete surfaces to provide visualizing of the form of the columns as well as the varying structure and colour of each column.
2) Recessed LED luminaires were positioned in the faces of each column and the varying colour, size and orientation of the square and rectangular units represent the colours of the South African flag which serve to emphasize the diverse nature of our rainbow nation. The acrylic diffuser consists of a specialized coloured diffusing material designed to reinforce the colour of the light emitted by the LED's as well as providing the matching colour appearance during daylight hours.
3) Narrow beam 150W metal halide floodlights with dichroic filter colour change units were fitted to the inside of each column and focused upwards to illuminate the vertical inner surface of each column in varying colours to provide dynamic characterization of the diversity symbolism. Each column was also fitted with acrylic rods that refract this coloured light outwards to provide circular colour transfer to the edges of each column. The rods are positioned every 1m to the top of each column and consist of diameter 50mm by 450mm units with one end cut at an angle to refract the incident light to the etched exposed ends.

Wynberg based lighting specialists, Lighting Innovations was appointed by Patrick Rimoux - due to their unique expertise, which has led to a mutually successful working relationship developed over a number years on projects such as Mary Fitzgerald Square, Nelson Mandela Bridge and Cayenne, French Guyana.

Lighting Innovations, with the support of wholly black owned Machas Electrical, was tasked with the extensive process of design, manufacture, supply and installation of the specialized cast-in LED luminaires - the installation of the fixed colour 150W metal halide spotlights and installation/commissioning of the DMX controlled colour change spotlights - installation of the 570 acrylic rods - the full electrical installation, consisting of cable conduit, data conduit and cabling,

DB installation/commissioning and trenching/installation of the main supply cable - installation of the single piece woven stainless steel mesh (largest being 15.5m long by 2.6m wide with a weight of 392kg) and last but not least the design, manufacture, supply and installation of 2m tall stainless steel doors at the base of each column serving to protect the equipment housed inside each tower.

Eight of the nine columns have mini-DB's installed at the base of each inner face which house the circuit breakers, LED transformers and DMX control equipment for the luminaires. All DB's are weather proof and weather proof socket outlets are positioned in three of the columns. In excess of 500m of PVC conduit and 1000m of power/data cable were used in this relatively small installation to supply power/data to the luminaires positioned both at the base and at the top of each column.

The luminaires are initiated by a photocell/contactor system mounted inside one of the columns and controlled by a digital DMX controlled colour change program. This program can be varied to provide the required dynamic colour effect for any occasion.

This project was completed in record time considering the complications encountered due the location in the centre of a diameter 25m traffic circle with a large degree of traffic congestion and the need for the use of one of only two suitable 400 ton cranes in South Africa; that was required to lift the substantial concrete monoliths into position from their horizontal casting stage. The majority of the work on the outer and inner faces of the columns also required the extensive use of mobile "cherry-pickers" with the required reach.

Grinaker-LTA was responsible for the construction and erection of the columns with material supplied by Lafarge.

The area of the circle is to be landscaped with a low level (800mm high) circular earthen mound with boulders embedded providing a reinforcing background to the distinctive black and white bollards positioned on the outer perimeter of the circle. The inner area is to be covered with dark grey granite stones and surrounded with a contrasting ring of light grey granite stone to match those used in the columns, which serve to emphasize the joining together of the diverse components of our population.

This aptly named Freedom Towers monument serves to provide a dynamic and distinctive lighting sculpture which enriches the significant history of the Kliptown area and is a testimony to the artistic skill of Patrick Rimoux.

Read the article about the Freedom Towers in the Concrete Trends. Click Here.