Durban Local History Museum

1981
Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

Team: Ivor Daniel, Derek Thomas

The museum commissioned the recreation of a collection of historically significant buildings and streetscapes for a permanent exhibition celebrating regional cultural heritage. The project aims to document and express the local identity and character through interpretive models, engaging public displays, and curated paths.

The primary challenge involved translating a diverse array of historic construction styles, scales, and urban formats into a cohesive, readable format while maintaining strict historical accuracy. Much of the master work relied on old photographs, measured drawings, and sometimes incomplete archival records, requiring close collaboration between the design and editorial teams.

The final architectural approach focused on a series of finely crafted, scale-accurate models and immersive display sets. Developed with controlled artificial lighting and accessible viewpoints, individual architectural pieces can be understood both as standalone artifacts and as components in a broader urban narrative.