Victoria Yards in Johannesburg: working, selling and learning together

by Julia Pott

Revitalizing vacant downtowns. Enhancing derelict neighborhoods. Advancing mixed-use buildings. What is being attempted in many cities around the world is also happening with the help of numerous initiatives in Johannesburg, South Africa's most populous city. We present one of these projects – the Victoria Yards.

Victoria Yards is located on an early 19th century industrial site that was initially home to a laundry. Project developer Brian Green had a vision for Victoria Yards, as he told Creative Feel magazine: “The idea was to turn it into an urban city farm, I wanted to fill it with artists and artisans.“ here was also to be some kind of educational institution that would foster craft skills. As with Brian Green's earlier projects, the focus was on culture and art; this aspiration was also a good fit for Johannesburg, South Africa's cultural center.

The fact that the city is evolving and unattractive spaces are becoming lively hotspots, is also visible in Victoria Yards: the industrial buildings have been preserved, and new projects and spaces for community have been created in the historic buildings. The themes are as diverse as the people who work there.

Many visual artists work here and exhibit their works in small galleries and studios.

People engaged in arts and crafts will find space for their work and sales rooms; these include trades such as bookbinding, carpentry, metalworking, fashion design, pottery and ceramics.

A central element of the project is the transfer of knowledge and the learning of skills. Rooms for education and workshops are available for this purpose. Teachers and students are to meet and exchange ideas here – also to promote young entrepreneurs.

Another component that promotes community: urban agriculture. Fruits and vegetables are grown in the gardens between the buildings. Every first Sunday of the month, a market is held where local merchants offer their fresh produce.

There's also street food to go with the Sunday market: a pizzeria, a bar, a coffee roastery and bakery, a fish & chip store are all on the premises – along with a gin distillery.

The fact that the community plays an important role in Victoria Yards is also demonstrated by the community clinic that is located here. A number of charitable organizations have also set up shop here. Many projects focus on sustainability, such as the Green Business College, where young entrepreneurs are taught how to implement sustainable business ideas.

The Victoria Yards project received the ULI Europe Award in 2020. The Urban Land Institute award recognizes outstanding urban development projects in the EMEA region. The citation stated: “Victoria Yards is a unique regeneration project that has risen from the ashes of a derelict industrial site to become an entrepreneurial incubation centre providing space at cost to social and artistic enterprises from the neighbourhood and beyond.  It is an outstanding example of how creative thinking, community engagement and strong leadership can deliver immediate and evolving commercial, social and environmentally sustainable developments. Victoria Yards has created a thriving community that is as much about social cohesion and learning as it is a commercial enterprise.”

In this sense, Victoria Yards is a lighthouse project that combines and addresses many current and important issues such as urban development, sustainability, and community. Hopefully, this idea and its positive impact will radiate far beyond Johannesburg.