Union Buildings

Herbert Baker designed the Union Buildings and they were completed in 1913: two wings in sandstone joined by a semicircular colonnade on Meintjieskop, with terraced gardens dropping down the hill in front. Baker's intention was that the two wings would represent the union of two language groups, and the amphitheatre between them has been the site of national ceremonies ever since - inaugurations, funerals, commemorations. The building is the seat of the presidency and is not open to visitors, so what you do here is walk the gardens, which are free and used constantly by residents. A nine-metre bronze statue of Nelson Mandela with his arms open stands on the upper terrace, unveiled in 2013 shortly after his death, and it is the photograph most people come for. In October and November jacarandas colour the city below the terraces.

History

When the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, Pretoria became its administrative capital and needed a government building. The hill, Meintjieskop, lay on the farm Elandsfontein of Marthinus Wessel Pretorius; in 1856 Andries Francois du Toit, Pretoria's first magistrate, got part of it for a Basotho pony and named it Arcadia, then sold it to Stephanus Jacobus Meintjies, after whom the hill is named. Herbert Baker was commissioned in 1909, the cornerstone was laid in November 1910, and a disused quarry on the site became the amphitheatre between two identical wings joined by a semicircular colonnade, with Cape Dutch interiors of teak and stinkwood and granite quarried on the spot; some 1,265 workers finished it in 1913, at a cost of £1,310,640 for the building and £350,000 for the site (Wikipedia, Union Buildings).

What's there

• Baker's crescent - a 1913 sandstone building with a colonnade linking two wings.
• The Mandela statue - a nine-metre bronze on the upper terrace, unveiled in 2013.
• The terraced gardens - free public grounds dropping down the hill.
• The ceremonial amphitheatre - the space used for inaugurations and state occasions.

When to go

September to April; late October for jacarandas below. Two hours.

Practical notes

The building itself is closed - this is a gardens visit. Security is present and some areas close for state events without notice. Take normal city precautions with belongings. Summer afternoons are hot on the open terraces.

Nearby

Pretoria's jacaranda streets are below; the botanical garden is east.

Key facts