Arts, Culture & Heritage
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Blue Plaque Sites

Wits Planetarium

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About Wits Planetarium

Developed in cooperation with the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation

Address

Wits University, Yale Road, Braamfontein
25 April 2025

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WITS PLANETARIUM Designed by Eyvind Finsen, this was the first full-sized planetarium in Africa. Opened in 1960, it became a beacon of astronomical education, attracting tens of thousands of learners annually. By 2024, the old analogue Zeiss Mk III Star projector was replaced by high-resolution digital projectors and an upgraded sound system. The Colosseum Heritage Award went to Kate Otten Architects for the transformation of the Johannesburg Planetarium into the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome, which opened on 12 November 2024.

Photo courtesy: Kabelo Mokoena (Sunday Times)

Explore Joburg

A culmination of research gathered over many years, the Online Johannesburg Heritage Register is being launched on Nelson Mandela Day 18 July 2025.

Among the many heritage sites featured is Chancellor House, the downtown offices of Mandela and Tambo Attorneys in the 1950s. After having been vacant and shuttered for more than a decade, this iconic building is being revived and brought to life once again as offices for the Community Development Department, which oversees the City’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Services.

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