The Red Location Museum is situated within the Black Township of New Brighton, of Port Elizabeth (now called Gqeberha). Surrounded by the colourful homes of proud Locals. It was designed by the award winner Architect; Joe Noero. It derives its name from a series of corrugated iron barrack buildings, which are rusted a deep red colour. These were part of a Boer concentration camp in Uitenhage and moved in 1900's, to Red Location, where the first urban Black families settled. It became a site of struggle during the years of Apartheid. Many prominent Political and Cultural leaders were either born or lived in Red Location. (Some examples are given by clicking on the Links)
The Museum has won several International Architecture awards. Its structure is similar to the surrounding Informal Settlements and is made of 12 corrugated iron boxes. It was opened on the 10th of November 2006
The Museum comprises a series of 12 unmarked, rusted boxes offering a set of different memories of struggle in South Africa. The boxes are housed in the main exhibition space and each box is 6 meter by 6 meter and 12 meters tall. The contents of the boxes are revealed only on entry and they are all quite unique. The spaces between the boxes are spaces of reflection – what Andreas Huyssen calls: 'the twilight of memory'. The Museum also comprises an Auditorium, Library, art gallery, offices, a Memorial space to commemorate the local heroes of the struggle, and an adjoining tomb where Raymond Mhlaba and Goven Mbeki, national struggle heroes, are buried.