uct heritage park management framework - University of Cape Town

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4.3 The canopy and views in / towards the site
Holes in the forest canopy respond to the system of platforms. These holes are obviously
increasing in extent and number and becoming more visible from outside the site over time. Small
natural openings in the canopy are not visible from the outside and provide relief to the dark
interior of the mostly forested site (Figure 10) while the larger clearings are becoming increasingly
bigger, making the activities within them more noticeable from outside of the site.
The forest occupying the Forest Precinct generally screens the main building mass of Campus and
car parking but does not screen the dumpsite and tennis courts, which are increasingly visible
from the Rhodes Memorial approach road.
Views from the Ring Road approach over the Dam Precinct up the slope are undisturbed and
provide a view of terraced forest with a foreground of green.
Figure 10: Forest canopy, and views into the UCT Heritage Park (not to scale)
4.4 Platforms and views out of the site
The site has been platformed to facilitate easy access and use. The canopy openings generally
respond to the platforms (Figure 11).
Views out of the Forest Precinct are limited except from points on the periphery. Views out of the
site are mainly from the dumpsite (dramatic views of Constantiaberg, Steenbeg and Muizenberg
Peaks) and from the platform in the bottom northeast corner of the Forest Precinct (from where
there are spectacular views of distant mountain ranges). Views up the slope of Devil’s Peak are
limited to the northern parts of the access track, which reveal glimpses of the slopes above. The
immediate slopes above the site are generally only partially visible through the trees trunks from
the access track.
UCT Heritage Park Management Framework: Final Draft Report, July 2012