Buildings 3, 4 and 7
The industrial development in the Vaal Triangle, comprising Vanderbijlpark, Sasolburg, and Vereeniging, created a demand for specialized training in the region after World War II. Vanderbijlpark gained municipal status in 1952, named after Dr. Hendrik van der Bijl, an electrical engineer appointed by the government to oversee the nation's industrial growth. That same year, Sasolburg was established following the construction of a plant dedicated to extracting oil from coal. In 1958, under the leadership of Dr. F.P. Jacobsz, business leaders and representatives from the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (PU for CHE) initiated discussions about creating a university campus in the Vaal Triangle. By 1963, Professor A.J.E. Sorgdrager from PU for CHE began offering refresher courses for cost accountants in Vanderbijlpark, leading to the formal establishment of the university's Vaal River Branch in 1965. In 1973, PU for CHE acquired 88 hectares of land adjacent to the Vaal River to develop a university campus, later expanding to 111 hectares by 2004. The creation of an Engineering Faculty at PU for CHE in 1981 prompted the university council to designate the Vaal Triangle Campus as its home in 1982. Construction commenced in 1983 on facilities for the Chemical and Electrical Engineering departments, as well as the Natural Sciences. However, initial design plans were modified due to building costs exceeding the maximum loan permissible under government guidelines.
Excavations at the Engineering complex.
The Engineering complex under construction between 1983 and 1987. After the Engineering Faculty relocated to Potchefstroom, it was known as buildings 3, 4 and 7.
The complex, comprising three three-storey buildings, was constructed at a cost of R5.7 million. According to the design plan, these structures were erected in the north-western part of the campus, approximately half a kilometre from the Administration Building. Due to delays, construction was only completed at the beginning of 1987.
The Engineering complex shortly after completion.
The official opening took place on 15 March 1988. In 1987, the Council of the PU for CHE decided to relocate the Engineering Faculty to Potchefstroom, and the two engineering departments occupied these buildings until they moved to Potchefstroom in 1991. In 1992, the three buildings, known as Blocks A, B, and C, were refurbished. Block A, now referred to as Building 4, housed the sub-faculties of Economic and Managerial Sciences and Natural Sciences. Block B, now known as Building 3, accommodated the library, as well as Information Technology and Management.
In U Lig described the history of the library at the Vaal Triangle Campus from its inception until 2004:
Library
The establishment of a branch library of the Ferdinand Postma Library at the PU for CHE gained momentum in 1968 with the transfer of books to the Public Library in Vanderbijlpark. In 1973, a library depot was set up in the office of Prof. S.P. van der Walt, the University’s representative in the Vaal Triangle, with around 340 books available in the early 1970s. Students could request books from the main PU library. In 1976, a library was established at the Goodyear Building Complex, and the following year, G. de Bruijn was appointed as assistant librarian. The library moved to the multi-purpose building in the River Complex until its relocation to the current building in 1993, after the Engineering departments moved to Potchefstroom. Over time, a substantial permanent collection of books and magazines was built, although many materials still had to be sourced from the Ferdinand Postma Library. In the 1980s, a regular post and messenger service between the two campuses enabled materials to be delivered within a day of request. By 1977, around 200 books were loaned annually, with usage escalating to 14,000 by 1998 and 18,479 by 2003. The branch library at the Vaal Triangle Campus operated on weekdays but remained closed during evenings and holidays.
The library of the Vanderbijlpark Campus as it appears in a video tour of the campus.
Block C, now known as Building 7, became home to the sub-faculties of Humanities and Education. Part of the building was originally used as a storage facility until it was converted into office space and lecture halls in 1995. Further modifications were made to Buildings 4 and 7 in 1998, coinciding with the reorganization of the four sub-faculties into seven schools.