Afrikaans Language Monument

Completed in 1975, the monument is unusual in being an argument rendered in concrete rather than a statue. Architect Jan van Wijk designed a series of linked tapering forms of different heights, each assigned a meaning by the designers: the European heritage of the language, its African influences, a bridge between the two, the Malay language and culture, the soaring central spire of Afrikaans itself, and the Republic declared in 1961. It marked fifty years of Afrikaans as an official language and a century since the Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners was founded in Paarl. Whether a building can carry that much explanation is a fair question, but the shapes work as sculpture, and the site - high on Paarl Mountain's granite with views over the winelands to Table Mountain - does most of the work.

The main sights

• The column diagram - forms of different heights each assigned a linguistic meaning.
• The 1975 design - Jan van Wijk's concrete architecture rather than figurative statuary.
• The mountain site - granite domes and views over the winelands to Table Mountain.
• The open-air stage - the amphitheatre below the monument used for concerts.

When to go

September to April; late afternoon light suits the concrete. One hour.

What to expect

There is an entrance fee and the site is essentially one structure and a view. The symbolism needs the signage to read at all. The road up the mountain is winding.

Nearby

Paarl Rock is on the same mountain; the town and its wine farms are below.

Key facts