This building in Forest Town on Jan Smuts Avenue in Johannesburg was designed for renowned photographer Roger Ballen with the broad aim of promoting “art that reveals deeper psychological meanings within an African context”. In addition to a voluminous central exhibition space, the building includes offices and administrative support for Ballen’s work and that of his foundation as well as world-class facilities to house his archive and collections. Taking inspiration from the Brutalist movement, the building’s strong geometry and raw materiality creates expressive interactions with light and shadow. The material blurring between the interior and exterior concrete surfaces creates ambiguity between what is inside and what is out. As Ballen put it, “The interiors of the building are turned ‘out’”. Stippled Tyrolean plasterwork references the Arts and Crafts heritage of the area, creating a sense of historical continuity. The centre joins several other cultural organisations in the neighbourhood, each reinforcing the contribution of the others to promote the place of arts in the suburb, the city and the continent.