Object description

The Athenaeum building is at the heart of a burgeoning creative industry in Port Elizabeth. It is situated at the corner of Castle Hill and Belmont Terrace in Nelson Mandela Bay. The building aims to cultivate, develop and promote the culture, heritage and arts of the Eastern Cape. It was opened on 26 July 1896 and was designed by George William Smith. It was declared a national monument in 1980 and is listed as one of the provincial heritage sites of Port Elizabeth.