Johannes Anthonie Smith

Johannes Anthonie Smith (1910-1997)[1] was an architect, in particular of churches and other public buildings.

Biography

Born on 23 July, 1910 on the farm Leeukop in the district Aberdeen, South Africa, the son of the journalist and painter Johannes Anthonie Smith (1886-1954)

Having attended various schools in the country as his father travelled around, Smith studied architecture at the University of Cape Town. His final year thesis was on the design of a theatre, a project which led to a keen and life-long interest in acoustics which stood him in good stead in his future design of churches and other public venues. In about 1937 he established his practice in Cape Town and in the following years he opened smaller satellite offices in Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, Queenstown and Uitenhage. He travelled regularly between the various offices and projects.

He died in Somerset-West on 7 May 19977.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

He was the architect of the Bellville Civic Centre in the Western Cape - containing the first civic theatre in the country, working with specifications provided by the National Theatre Organization. He commissioned the Pretoria artist Leo Théron to design and execute a large mosaic mural for the entrance foyer of the Civic Theatre. The building was opened in 1957 with a production of Germanicus by N.P. van Wyk Louw.