Emblematic of South Africa's failed apartheid-era dreams, Ponte City is a 54-storey block of flats in Johannesburg, initially designed as an urban space of white privilege, luxury and global aspirations. Built in 1975, Ponte is an iconic Brutalist-style landmark recognisable throughout the city due to its great height, unusual cylindrical shape and bright Vodapay sign that wraps around the tower's topmost floors. Located in the neighbourhood of Berea, a historically "white group area", populations of colour could not legally enter without a dompas ("passbook") that validated them to travel, work or live in the city. National economic downturn and the political instability that followed the 1976 Soweto Uprising led to inner-city desegregation, first by Coloured and Indian residents, then by Black residents after the former were forcibly displaced to other townships. Following the nation's second State of Emergency, increased "white flight" transformed the inner city into a majority Black space by 1987.

White South Africans perceived this racial tipping point to be the driving force for urban degradation and mayhem. Located in what is now considered one of Johannesburg's most dangerous urban zones, Ponte gained a reputation for housing socially-deviant populations of shifting order. During apartheid, Coloured, Indian and Black South Africans were disenfranchised and oppressed. After democratic transition in 1994, African foreign nationals became the new targets as they moved to Johannesburg seeking better economic opportunities. Despite widespread Pan-African support during apartheid, the 1990s saw rising xenophobic violence against African foreign nationals. During this period, Ponte's core allegedly housed up to 14 storeys of litter. Though the rubbish piles were cleared out by the early 2000s, the building is still problematically associated with the figurative "rubbishness" of its tenants. Ponte's notoriety as an "urban slum" continues to overshadow its rich cultural heritage and diverse and vibrant community. By examining the building's spatial design, visual media and material artefacts, this website uncovers the intricate narratives of privilege, displacement and resilience that characterise Ponte's evolution over time.