Saturday, September 17, 2011

Liebermann Pottery; Adriaan Turgel, the pottery detective.


Situated in Johannesburg, opposite the University of Johannesburg Auckland Park Bunting Road Campus (location of the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture and the Hotel School), is Liebermann Pottery
The space and the ceramics is synonymous with Adiraan Turgel, an enthusiastic and determined entrepreneur, with a passion for ceramics. Established in 1952 by Sammy Liebermann and inspired by the Bernard Leach, Shoji Hamada tradition. For many years, it produced a wide variety of handmade cottage tableware, even supplying restaurant-chains across the country (Mikes Kitchens and Spurs).
Sales Office.
Variety of Liebermann pottery
Spiritual corner.
The space and place is constantly transformed by the pottery detective himself, its look and feel formed and shaped by ceramic imports; new arrivals in all shapes and sizes, mainly from Asian countries. China and Vietnam to be more specific. Garden pots, tableware, fine bone china, sculptural ceramic ornaments and even traditional politically charged Chinese memorabilia (propagandist) are for sale here at reasonable prices. 

This pottery offers the largest collection of asian pots in the country  and includes the biggest collection of bonsai pots on the continent.



Every little space, inside and outside of this historic landmark, the Gasworks, is packed with ceramics. Many an architectural student at Wits and at UJ has had to apply their design skills in an attempt to find creative solutions to better utilize this space. 




However the present utilization of the space, home to a vast number of ceramic products of various oriental styles including Liebermann's pottery itself, is a feast for the eyes. 

The stacking of the pots ‘en masse’ creates a unique visual experience; the closest one would ever get here in Jozi, to a Chinese Pottery on the continent of Africa.
It is in close proximity to the now well-established shopping precinct of Stanley 44. Little courtyards and alleys in a reconstructed industrial space create interesting revamped and configured interior spaces for fine restaurants, shops, a gallery titled Art on Paper and a fabulous bakery. This is as local and intimate as it gets, for a truly authentic shopping experience. Lofts occupied by trendy residents make this location one of our most successful contemporary style shopping and cultural precincts in the city – in line with contemporary consumer expectations for a value adding experience. Value for money is served with a local and sophisticated flavour, creating a stylish and vibrant atmosphere. The smell of freshly roasted coffee (Beanthere) permeates the air from a distance, whilst the allure of fresh bread Vovotelo Bakery, makes this a thirst-quenching watering hole for the discerning shopper. The trees have now grown to a desirable height and the few fountains with churning waters makes it a very special place indeed – Mill park’s oasis. 

1 comment:

jim said...

hi eugene,
damn there's a lot to look at there, i'd like to get ahold of some of those proletariat figures.