Nothing has been set in stone, but a proposal has been drawn up to place a 60 metre high sculpture of former president Nelson Mandela’s face on the cliffs of Table Mountain.

A Dutch design firm, WHIM Architecture is very serious about the plan. But they aren’t satisfied with a good ol’ sculpture, no-siree. Visitors will be able to dine at a restaurant, confer at a conference centre, and peruse an exhibition area inside of said face.

According to the firm the monument “will teach next generations about the man who gave his life for justice and show his heritage”.

The team who is leading the design of the proposed 12-storey sculpture posted their designs on Facebook on Monday in order to receive feedback regarding the idea.

We are thinking of a monument, that is highly visible within the city and shows the beauty of the existing city and its landscape… Of course we see the beauty of Table Mountain, and we respect this. Table Mountain should maintain its natural beauty. The sketch design is a first visualisation on how we think we can create something monumental for Nelson Mandela but also for Cape Town.

The further development of the project should be done in close collaboration with the (local) government, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the inhabitants of Cape Town.

Paddy Gordon, Table Mountain National Park manager was having none of it. Gordon said:

As custodians of this international iconic site, we could not even begin to consider this proposal. In terms of the mountain’s legal status as a national park and World Natural Heritage Site, let alone its Natural Wonder of the World award, a development of such huge proportions would never be allowed.

Though we agree that the nation owes a huge debt to Madiba and that we need to honour his contribution for generations to come, we hope to support a very different approach to achieve this. Besides, I’m convinced that Madiba himself would not wish for his beloved Table Mountain to be maimed in this way.

Comments on Facebook were mixed, some taking to the idea while others cursed the idea, suggesting that the Dutch ruin their own mountain.

Check out the project website here.

[Source: IOL]