Renovations and upgrading of Campanile, one of Port Elizabeth’s heritage landmarks, is complete and the attraction is now open to visitors.
The newly renovated heritage site was unveiled on August 15.
The Campanile Memorial has a flight of 204 steps, which take visitors to the observation room, offering views of the harbour and surroundings, more than 52 metres above the city. It contains the largest carillon of bells in the country, in addition to its chiming clock.
Some of the new features at Campanile include an interactive visual-technology array dubbed ‘Ghost Bells’, which are bell proxies installed under the actual bell carillon, which light up during chiming, or when visitors press keys of an interactive silver console to match their pitch of a key with the corresponding bell.
Another addition is the harbour viewing window, which serves as an observation deck capsule at the top of the 50-metre Camapanile memorial, suspending visitors in the sky when they overlook the harbour.
A new reception area will act as an information desk and several exhibition areas within the Camapanile for the city’s creative communities has been developed. Other features include a silver plaque on the 67th step of the 204-step staircase to acknowledge Nelson Mandela’s 67 years in service of democracy.
The Campanile also provides ample opportunities for creative and art communities with several galleries and exhibition spaces incorporated on various floors.
