The Women's Prison is a renovation and expansion project that demonstrates a contrast between a historic architectural style and a new contemporary style. The old facility had housed women prisoners during the apartheid regime and was a symbol of brutality and cruelty. The new structures, which are symmetrical to the previous prison exercise courtyard, house offices such as the Human Rights Commission and the Gender Equality Commission. The new building opposes the meaning of the old structure through symbolic details of design and functionality. Kate Otten strategically designed the extension elements to alter the meaning of the women's prison precinct through different uses of materials and geometry. It is these contrasting meanings that will form the basis of this essay. The women's prison is located in Johannesburg between Hillbrow and Braamfontein and is part of the Constitutional Hill district. The women's prison was originally built in 1909 and illustrates the English prison architectural style of that era. The prison is built of red brick and has surprisingly soft details. Approaching the building from the edge of the road, the old structure beckons with intrigue to a structure that has a sense of beauty and heritage. The entrance is detailed with bricks that have been carefully placed and shaped to give the feeling of being a building of a friendly and kind nature. The entrance courtyard is filled with carefully manicured greenery, and picturesque black fencing demarcated the paths. The main path leads to the atrium which extends over three floors and features elegant Doric colonnades that define the space. The floor plan is arranged according to the traditional orthogonal shape commonly used in prisons and...... middle of paper ...... the new building houses organizations that protect people's human rights and this is significant with the transparency of building, in contrast to the confined spaces of the prison used for brutal acts. The Women's Prison District is a project that aims to add historical meaning through the use of architectural language. As you experience the spaces that exist between the old and the new, the meaning of the site changes. The old structure gives the illusion of soft nature from the outside, but the new structures convey its true identity as an unjust and brutal environment. The new structures provide a platform for the voices of the oppressed and place emphasis on the progress of the future. The Women's Goal is an example of how architecture can shape an environment and be a vector to symbolize renewal while paying homage to our heritage.