The Clara Centre

The Clara Social Centre grew out of an existing informal church in BT Soweto, which had long served as both a place of worship and a vital community gathering space. Recognising its significance and the ongoing lack of public infrastructure in township contexts, UTTE worked closely with local leaders to retain its spiritual function while expanding its social and developmental role.

In dense housing environments, amenities like community halls, art spaces, and performance venues are often excluded to prioritise residential density. However, these are essential to fostering connected, thriving neighbourhoods. We identified the need to integrate these functions into a shared, flexible facility—providing not just spiritual care but also opportunities for cultural expression, learning, and development.

The design leverages the spatial overlap between churches and theatres—both requiring large open halls, back-of-house rooms, and flexible seating configurations. The resulting centre supports religious services, arts and drama classes, youth activities, and after-school programmes, ensuring the space is in continuous use throughout the week.

Located just 60 metres from the Soweto Caracas Sports Centre, the Clara Social Centre forms part of a holistic social infrastructure network—offering sport, art, and spiritual development as parallel pathways to empowerment. Together, these amenities are foundational to the social and emotional sustainability of the BT Soweto community.