The Lantern House community centre in Johannesburg's Eldorado Park is an example of adaptive reuse that repurposed and upgraded the defunct and fire-damaged Goud Street Substation into an aesthetically pleasing community centre using cross-laminated timber (CLT).

Jamie Smily of XLAM South Africa says the project's primary objective was to transform an obsolete public building into a beneficial community space. For example, technological advancements have rendered several substations throughout the country redundant and vandalised.

Eldorado Park was historically overlooked during the apartheid years and is still an underserved community. The Lantern House project transformed a derelict structure into a community library, co-working areas, an amphitheatre, a lookout deck, and interactive event zones.

CLT and mass timber

The core of the Lantern House's design is cross-laminated timber (CLT). It is a mass timber product made from layers of timber boards stacked and bonded at right angles. This configuration results in solid wood panels with exceptional strength and rigidity that rival the structural performance of reinforced concrete.

Jamie established XLAM South Africa in Cape Town in 2016, introducing CLT in South Africa. The advantages of CLT include:

• Sustainability: The kiln-dried structurally-graded timber is sourced from responsibly managed forests and sawmills. Wood is a renewable resource that contributes to carbon sequestration, reducing the overall carbon footprint of buildings.
• Light and strong: CLT offers remarkable strength despite being lighter than concrete and steel, making it suitable for various structural applications. It is used extensively in multi-storey buildings in Europe, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
• Fire resistance: Contrary to what people think, mass timber exhibits excellent fire resistance. During fires, it chars on the outside, creating an insulating layer that protects the inner core and maintains structural integrity.
• Insulation: CLT provides superior thermal insulation, contributing to energy-efficient buildings, and its dense structure offers excellent acoustic insulation, enhancing indoor comfort.
• Prefabrication: The prefabrication of CLT panels in a factory ensures precision
• Quick construction: The prefabricated panels are assembled on-site, reducing construction time and the costs associated with labour, minimising construction waste, and accelerating project timelines.

XLAM South Africa specialises in manufacturing and supplying large-scale, complex timber components for construction applications. Their facility in Cape Town processes raw lumber into high-quality structural elements, emphasising sustainability and innovation. Their expertise spans a range of projects, from residential to significant commercial endeavours, underscoring the versatility and growing acceptance of mass timber solutions in the region.

The Lantern House project exemplifies the potential of adaptive reuse and showcases modern timber architecture's aesthetic and functional possibilities.

"South Africa's population is growing, and the country must expand its urban infrastructure without increasing its carbon footprint. The use of CLT and mass timber in projects like the Lantern House sets a precedent for future projects that balance ecological considerations, architectural excellence and modern quick construction", Jamie remarks.

It could pave the way for broader adoption of mass timber construction, promote environmental stewardship and provide communities with healthy and aesthetically pleasing inside spaces.

Lantern House professional team

Architecture: Local Studio
CLT: XLAM South Africa
Glulam & Installation: Holzbau Hess