AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Jonathan, Christian ©2020
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
African Architectural Heritage is a Research Project by Jonathan, Christian during IUAV University Venice academic Internship at Art and About Africa. This Brochure is created, to highlight selected African Architectural Heritage, to support the influence of sustainable and indigenous, architectural development. All right reserved
ARTICLE
TABLE OF CONTENT
AIMS & SELECTION CRITERION NORTHERN AFRICA NUBIAN PYRAMID, SUDAN
pg 5
COMMUNE OF TIMGAD, ALGERIA
pg 7
KSAR OF AIT-BEN HADDOU, MOROCCO
pg 11
NEW GOURNA VILLAGE, EGYPT
pg 13
AMPHITHEARTER OF EL JEM, TUNISIA
pg 15
WESTERN AFRICAN GREAT MOSQUE DJENNE, MALI
pg 19
TIMBUKTU, MALI
pg 21
SUKUR CULTURAL LANDSCAPE, NIGERIA
pg 23
SHITTA BEY MOSQUE, NIGERIA
pg 25
DA ROCHA WATER HOUSE, NIGERIA
pg 25
LARABANGA MOSQUE, GHANA
pg 27
OLD RESIDENCE MUSEUM CALABAR,NIGERIA
pg 29
TUBALI, NIGERIA
pg 31
ONE AIRPORT SQUARE, GHANA
pg 33
CENTRAL AFRICA SIPOPO CONGRESS CENTER, EQUITERIAL GUINEA
pg 37
EASTERN AFRICA ROCK-HEWN MONOLITHIC CHURCHES OF LALIBELA, ETHIOPIA
pg 41
FASIL GHEBBI CASTLE, ETHIOPIA
pg 43
THE STONE TOWN OF ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA
pg 45
FIAT TAGLIERO BUILDING, ERITERIA
pg 47
BISATE LODGE, RWANDA
pg 49
VIPINGO CLUB HOUSE, KENYA
pg 53
SOUTHERN AFRICA GREAT ZIMBABWE, ZIMBABWE
pg 59
NDEBELE PAINTED HOUSES, SOUTH AFRICA
pg 61
CONCLUSION
pg 65
‘Towards, a truly African and Globally inspiring Architecture’ More than ever the skyline of global cities is changing (skyscrapers, need for housing etc) including African Cities, but one question remains unanswered, what is the motive and influence behind African Architectural Developments? My interest and inquiry grew after a course on The History of Contemporary Architecture which entails Connection between Past and Present architecture in style, use and philosophy which would define the cultural and societal context of a place, and perhaps this still remains irrelevant to the majority of African architecture Developments as majority continues to embody a replica of copycats architecture.
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Early this year the Chinese Government issued a decree prohibiting Plagiarism of buildings in the country, the copycat of famous European buildings and limiting skyscrapers to 500 meters height to avoid strange buildings and encourage buildings that would represent the culture and urban context of its location. The need for contemporary Cities continues to boom in Africa, with the awareness of the growing trends in Asia, Europe and The Americas. But what is the benefit of Architecture if it does not reflect the value of her inhabitants and Location. A look into the rise and development of Contemporary African Arts embodying Traditional Arts with Modern and Contemporary Techniques, globally appreciated and recognised Art works, artists like Victor Ehikhamenor, Njideka Akunyili-crosby and many others. However, Architects like David Adjaye, Francis Kere, Kunle Adeyemi, Christian Benimana and many others continue to provide suitable Architectural designs for the African Environment and People. More also there is a need to rethink and re-visit African Architectural Heritage both ancient (past) and Modern (present) to create a connection for present and future developments. An Architecture that would reflect Africa and suitable for its surrounding and landscape. This Brochure highlights outstanding African Architectural Heritage from which its Arts and Motives can influence contemporary designs towards an Indigenous Contemporary and Sustainable African Architecture.
Jonathan, Christian
pg 1
AIM OF THE PROJECT To Highlight or reveal outstanding African Architecture, Ancient or modern as a means of connection for present and future developments. To elevate the appreciation of past African Architectural Achievements. To advocate for indigenous, outstanding, suitable and sustainable African Architecture development. To make Architects and Designers re-think for indigenous contemporary architecture and not copycats. To contribute to the appreciation of African Arts even so in a modern and contemporary form.
SELECTION CRITERION BASED ON AUTHOR OPINION Human Creative Genius: To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius, with emphasis on being created by the original inhabitants of the place. Cultural Significance: To have a unique testimony or unique characteristics of the cultural tradition of the civilization of the place of which the people are still living or disappeared. Historical Significance: To be an example of the type of Architectural Icon, building, Community Urban Planning and Landscape that represent a significant stage in Human History. Architectural Significance: To have important demonstration of architectural excellence in construction and aesthetic and have technical achievement at that particular time. Aesthetic Significance: To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared; Traditional Human Settlement: To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment leading to a sustainable design approach. Social Significance: the place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. Significance Elements Of Architectural Connections Past, Present And Future: To have a significant value of past influence with attributes for the present and future adaptation of her influence within the locality and beyond.
pg 2
NORTHERN
‘‘As an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past for a future which is essentially unknown’’ Norman Foster
AFRICA
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
A Nubian shadouf-based construction pg 5
Nubian Pyramid, Sudan
NUBIAN PYRAMID Sudan Location: Sudan Date: 700BC Original Name: Nubia Current Use: The Nubian pyramids are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
The first Nubian pyramid was built around 700 BC, much later than the great pyramids. After so many years of exchange, the Nubians worshipped Egyptian gods and kept many Egyptian traditions, even as Egypt itself faded as a power. The Nubian pyramids are smaller, typically less than 100 feet high, where the pyramid of Khufu is a whopping 440 feet tall. The Nubian pyramids have a steeper slope, a byproduct of Nubian shadouf-based construction. The shadouf, a simple counterweight crane, was set in the middle, and the pyramid went up around it; the crane could only reach so far so the base of the pyramid had to be small, mandating steep sides. Nubian pyramids are pyramids that were built by the rulers of the ancient Kushite kingdoms. The area of the Nile valley known as Nubia, which lies within the north of present day Sudan, was home to three Kushite kingdoms during antiquity. The first had its capital at Kerma (2500–1500 BC). The second was centered on Napata (1000–300 BC). Finally, the last kingdom was centered on Meroë (300 BC–AD 300) built to align with the desert paths, to house the Tombs of Queens and Kings. They are built of granite and sandstone.
pg 6
Commune Of Timgad, Algeria
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Rectalinear grid pattern, the layout mimics a Roman military camp. pg 7
COMMUNE OF TIMGAD ALGERIA Location: Batna, Algeria Date: AD100 Original Name: The Colonia Marciana Traiana Thamugadi Current Use: Archaeological Site, of its Ruins
Timgad lies on the northern slopes of the Aurès mountains and was created ex nihilo as a military colony by the Emperor Trajan in AD 100. With its square enclosure and orthogonal design based on the cardo and decumanus, the two perpendicular routes running through the city, it is an excellent example of Roman town planning. In Timgad there is also a temple dedicated to Capitoline Jupiter (almost as big as the Pantheon in Rome ), a square church with a circular apse dating back to the 7th century , and a Byzantine citadel built in the last days of the city.
The militaristic nature of the settlement is defined by the rectalinear grid pattern centralized by these main arteries which are key in the castrum plan of Roman military camps. The Grid Plan, with 2 entries to the city, offers a glimpse to the Roman city planning which is relative to some western city planning. pg 8
pg 9
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE Commune Of Timgad, Algeria
COMMUNE OF TIMGAD, ALGERIA
pg 10
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Small urban castles with their high angle towers
pg 11
Ksar Of Ait-Ben Haddou, Morroco
KSAR OF AIT-BEN HADDOU MORROCO Location: Ourzazate Province, Southern Morroco Date:17th century Original Name: The Ksar Current Use: The community areas of the ksar include a mosque, a public square, grain threshing areas outside the ramparts,a fortification and a loft at the top of the village, an caravanserai, two cemeteries (Muslim and Jewish) and the Sanctuary of the Saint Sidi Ali or Amer.
The ksar is a mainly collective grouping of dwellings. Inside the defensive walls which are reinforced by angle towers and pierced with a baffle gate, houses crowd together - some modest, others resembling small urban castles with their high angle towers and upper sections decorated with motifs in clay brick - but there are also buildings and community areas. It is an extraordinary ensemble of buildings offering a complete panorama of pre-Saharan earthen construction techniques. Houses crowd together – some modest, others resembling small urban castles with their high angle towers and upper sections decorated with motifs in clay brick – but there are also buildings and community areas The oldest constructions do not appear to be earlier than the 17th century, although their structure and technique were propagated from a very early period in the valleys of southern Morocco. The site was also one of the many trading posts on the commercial route linking ancient Sudan to Marrakesh by the Dra Valley and the Tizi-n’Telouet Pass. pg 12
NEW GOURNA VILLAGE EGYPT Location: Luxor, Egypt Date:1945 Original Name: Old Gourna Community Current Use: New Gourna remains a dynamic living settlement, with housing and public facilities, though nearly 40 percent of the original buildings have been lost.
New Gourna was a housing project masterminded by Hassan Fathy with the objective of re-housing the Seven Thousand people of Gourna, a village built on the site of the Tomb of the Nobles, part of the ancient cemetery of Thebes (now Luxor, Egypt) The project incorporated traditional techniques and materials and vernacular styles with the benefit of contemporary know-how, generating an economically and ecologically sustainable building ethos that was integral to the community that would occupy the village.
Designed by a pioneer of sustainable architecture, Hassan Fathy, the village of New Gourna in Luxor, or ancient Thebes, was commissioned by the Egyptian Department of Antiquities in 1945. The goal was to use local materials and techniques to relocate Old Gourna, a community of amateur archeologists that had sprung up near the ancient sites, and in doing so, curtail damage and looting at nearby Pharaonic sites as well as facilitate tourism development.
pg 13
New Gourna Village, Egypt
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Economically and ecologically Sustainable Building pg 14
AMPHITHEARTER OF EL JEM Tunisia
Location: Ed Djem Mahida, Tunisia Date:238 AD Original Name: Thysdrus in the Roman province of Africa. Current Use: Amphitheatre of El Jem is an oval amphitheatre in the modern-day city of El Djem
The Amphitheatre of El Jem bears outstanding witness to Roman architecture, notably monuments built for spectator events, in Africa. Located in a plain in the centre of Tunisia, this amphitheatre is built entirely of stone blocks, with no foundation sand freestanding. In this respect it is modelled on the Coliseum of Rome without being an exact copy of the Flavian construction.
The amphitheatre was built around 238 AD in Thysdrus, located in the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis in present-day El Djem,Tunisia. It is one of the best preserved Roman stone ruins in the world, and is unique in Africa. As other amphitheatres in the Roman Empire, it was built for spectator events, and it is one of the biggest amphitheatres in the world. The estimated capacity is 35,000, and the sizes of the big and the small axes are respectively 148 metres (486 ft) and 122 metres (400 ft).The amphitheatre is built of stone blocks, located on a flat ground, and is exceptionally well conserved. pg 15
pg 16
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Amphithearter Of El Jem, Tunisia
WESTERN
‘‘The Mother art is architecture without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our Civilization’’ Frank Lloyd Wright
AFRICA
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Largest mud-built structure in the world pg 19
Great Mosque Djenne, Mali
GREAT MOSQUE DJENNE Location: Djenne Mopti Region Mali Date:13th century Original Name: Great Mosque Djenne Current Use: Great Mosque of today includes several innovations such as a special court reserved for women and a principal entrance with earthen pillars, that signal the graves of two local religious
As one of the wonders of Africa, and one of the most unique religious buildings in the world, the Great Mosque of DjennĂŠ, in present-day Mali, is also the greatest achievement of Sudano-Sahelian architecture (SudanoSahelian refers to the Sudanian and Sahel grassland of West Africa). It is also the largest mud-built structure in the world
DjennĂŠ was founded between 800 and 1250 C.E., and it flourished as a great center of commerce, learning, and Islam, which had been practiced from the beginning of the 13th century.
pg 20
Timbuktu, Mali
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Home of the prestigious Koranic Sankore University
pg 21
TIMBUKTU MALI Location: Timbuktu, Mali Date:15th and 16th centuries Original Name: City of tuaraegh or songai origin Current Use: The three big Mosques of Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, sixteen mausoleums and holy public places, still bear witness to this prestigious past till date, as Koranic University.
Home of the prestigious Koranic Sankore University and other madrasas, Timbuktu was an intellectual and spiritual capital and a centre for the propagation of Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its three great mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, recall Timbuktu’s golden age. Although continuously restored, these monuments are today under threat from desertification.
Founded in the 5th century, the economic and cultural apogee of Timbuktu came about during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was an important centre for the diffusion of Islamic culture with the University of Sankore, with 180 Koranic schools and 25,000 students. It was also a crossroads and an important market place where the trading of manuscripts was negotiated, and salt from Teghaza in the north, gold was sold, and cattle and grain from the south. pg 22
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Home of the prestigious Koranic Sankore University pg 23
Sukur Cultural Landscape, Nigeria
SUKUR CULTURAL LANDSCAPE NIGERIA Location: Madagali, Adamawa State Nigeria Date: 17th century Original Name: Palace of the Hidi (Chief) Current Use: Sukur or Sukur Cultural Landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on a hill above the village of Sukur in the Adamawa State of Nigeria.Sukur is Africa’s first cultural landscape to receive World Heritage List inscription
The landscape is characterized by terraces on the farmlands, dry stone structures and stone paved walkways.The terraced landscape at Sukur with its hierarchical structure and combination of intensive and extensive farming is remarkable. In addition, it has certain exceptional features that are not to be found elsewhere, notably the use of paved tracks and the spiritual content of the terraces, with their ritual features such as sacred trees. The recent history is traced to the Dur dynasty of the 17th century. The settlement is in two parts. The upper part, where the palace is located, is called the Sakur Sama and the other is Sakur Kasa. The palace located on the hilltop, in a large enclosure has residence of the Hidi (chief). It is a circular structure built from local granite made into dry stone walls and niches.
pg 24
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Da Rocha Water House pg 25
Afro-Brasilian Architecture
AFRO-BRASILIAN ARCHITECTURE LAGOS, NIGERIA
Location: Lagos, Nigeria Date: 19th Century Original Name: Shitta Bey Mosque & Water House Current Use:
Shitta bey Mosque: Arguably the Oldest Mosque in Nigeria Da Rocha Water House has been declared a National Monument.
Freed slaves from countries including Brazil -- began to return to their home country in the early 19th century. Many of the Afro-Brazilians returnees were technically skilled artisans who helped build the Mohammed Shitta Bey Mosque in Lagos, Nigeria. An historic monument known for its distinctive architectural style based on Brazilian Baroque architecture. Muhammad Shitta Bey commissioned a mosque to be built according to the design of the Brazilian JoaoBaptista
The name “Water House” originated from the sale of drinking water to the inhabitants of that area by Mr. Da Rocha in the year gone by. Mr. Joe Esan Da Rocha was one of the first people who led freed slaves back from Brazil. This building is located in the Street, which formed part of a “crown” house granted to Hijinio Pinto Da Fronsacca in 1864
pg 26
Shitta Bey Mosque
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Easily Recognised By Its Horizontal Timbers pg 27
Larabanga Mosque, Ghana
LARABANGA MOSQUE GHANA
Location: Gonja District of the Savannah Region of Ghana. Date: 1421 Original Name: Larabanga Mosque Current Use:
It has been referred to as the “Mecca of West Africa”.
The Larabanga Mosque is a mosque built in the Sudanese architectural style in the village of Larabanga, Larabanga Mosque is purported to be the oldest and most revered mosque of its kind in Ghana, and one of the oldest in West Africa. It has been referred to as the “Mecca of West Africa”.Located in the tiny Muslim village of Larabanga, just 4km from Mole National Park, it is most famous for its striking Sudanese-style mud-andreedsmosque, and easily recognised by its horizontal timbers, which support two tall pyramidal towers, one for the mihrab which faces towards Mecca forming the facade on the east and the other as a minaret in the northeast corner. These are buttressed by twelve bulbous shaped structures, which are fitted with timber elements. According to a legend, in 1421, an Islamic trader named Ayuba had a dream while staying here, near a “Mystic Stone”, instructing him to build a mosque. Strangely, when he awoke, he found that the foundations were already in place and he proceeded to construct the mosque until it was completed.
pg 28
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Beautiful old European architecture pg 29
Old Residence Museum Calabar, Nigeria
OLD RESIDENCE MUSEUM CALABAR, NIGERIA
Location: Calabar, Cross River State Nigeria Date: 1884 Original Name: Old colonial building Current Use:
Today, the colonial building houses what the Bradt travel guide to Nigeria calls “without question Nigeria’s best museum.
This imposing ornate building, with beautiful old European architecture, served at the seat of government during the colonial era of the Southern Nigeria protectorate. Today, it is part of the National Museum, run by the National Commission for Museum, housing artifact and relics of historical and archaeological interest.The museum building was designed and built in Glasgow and shipped over in pieces. The museum focuses on the history of Calabar, the Cross River region and slavery. The museum also houses the world largest quantity of original Nigeria document and artifacts. Built in 1884 on top of Consular Hill, the building is a prefabricated structure of Scandinavian red-pine wood shipped in knockdown parts from Britain to old Calabar. This building was the seat of the British colonial administration for the Southern Protectorateof Nigeria. The typical plan of side varender, and Entrance Porch has gone to influence the early Architecture of emerging residential buildings making an important impact in the Post Colonial Architectural revolution. pg 30
Emir Palace Bauchi
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
pg 31
Tubali, Nigeria
TUBALI NIGERIA
Location: Northern, Nigeria Original Name: Tubali Current Use: Predominant style in Northern Nigeria
Tubali is the Hausa architectural style predominant in Northern Nigeria, Niger, eastern Burkina Faso, northern Benin, as well as some West African countries.walls. Hausa architecture is the architecture of the Hausa people. Hausa architectural forms include mosques, walls, common compounds, and gates. Hausa traditional architecture is an integral part of how Hausa people construct a sense of interrelatedness with their physical environment. Hausa architectural is dependent on the local climate. Housing must be sustainable and protect people from bad weather.
Since most Hausa people are muslims, they build their houses in large communities because they needed large areas for prayer, wedding celebrations, and funeral rituals. All this contributes to close communication between people.
pg 32
ONE AIRPORT SQUARE ACCRA
Location: Accra, Ghana Date: 2010 – 2015 Architects: Mario Cucinella Architects Current Use: One Airport Square is a multifunctional building
It hosts commercial spaces on the ground floor and a tenfloor office block on the southwest of the lot, due to the specific form and orographic features of the site. In view of the desire for a contrast between the project area and the surrounding townscape, Here, the space was configured as a public square, open on the northeast side of the lot while shielded by the commercial floor, arranged as a ring (shops, restaurants, self-service catering establishments). One Airport Square is a nine-storey building for offices, plus a ground floor designed for commercial activities, for a total of about 17,000 square meters. Aesthetic elements and architectural design are inspired by the traditional local art and by the from the bark of the palm trees typical of that area, closely linked to environmental strategies to provide a viable solution to climate problems. creating a connection between Traditional arts and Contemporary Architecture. The form and layouts of the office block are the outcome of ongoing design work based on the functional requirements of the principal and the formal, structural and energy requirements specified by the multi-disciplinary design group. pg 33
One Airport Square Accra, Ghana
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
pg 34
Architectural design inspired by the traditional local art and by the from the bark of the palm
CENTRAL
‘‘For the next generation of African creative leaders, we have to shorten and streamline that journey. But most importantly — and I cannot stress this enough — we have to build their design confidence and empower them to develop solutions that are truly African but globally inspiring.’’ Christian Benimana
AFRICA
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
pg 37
Sipopo Congress Center
SIPOPO CONGRESS CENTER EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Location: Malabo, Equatorial Guinea Date: 2011 Original Name: Sipopo Congress Center Current Use: Tabanlioglu Architects
The building is in accord with its “place” in terms of natural resources and cultural heritage, it is not an imported glass box model but a genuine African trace of our era. with the exterior and interior attributes all reflecting indigenous art form in its Architecture.
The lacy texture of the mesh behaves like sun-break and grants a shady interior without hindering the accent of transparency. The building with its elegant veil visually merges to the ocean and the surrounding greenery in serenity, reflecting the beauty of the surroundings.
Encircled and harmonized with the green woods and the blue ocean, mirroring the nature on the building’s uninterrupted sheer glass walls, the gray-bronze mesh follows the color of the tree trunks and the existing Conference Hall materialized in solid travertine.
pg 38
EASTERN
‘’Design is not just about creating good looking spaces. As architects and designers, you have a certain responsibility towards society at large and the evolution of people’s perception through your work. Realize that, live it and love your work’’ Shabnam Gupta
AFRICA
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Churches Carved out of Rock pg 41
Rock-Hewn Churches, Ethiopia
ROCK-HEWNMONOLITHIC CHURCHES OF LALIBELA ETHIOPIA
Location: Amhara Region, Ethiopia Date: 12th Century Original Name: Roha (Warwar) Current Use: Lalibela is a high place of Ethiopian Christianity, still today a place of pilmigrage and devotion.
The medieval structures were commissioned by King Lalibela, who set out to construct in the 12th century a ‘New Jerusalem’, after the Muslim conquests halted Christian pilgrimages to the holy Land. These Lalibela churches include the Church of the Redeemer, of Saint Mary, of Mount Sinai, of Golgotha, of the House of the Cross, of the House of the Virgins, of Saint Gabriel, of Abba Matta, of Saint Mercurius, and of Immanuel.
In a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia, some 645 km from Addis Ababa, eleven medieval monolithic churches were carved out of rock. Their building is attributed to King Lalibela who set out to construct in the 12th century a ‘New Jerusalem’, after Muslim conquests halted Christian pilgrimages to the holy Land. Lalibela flourished after the decline of the Aksum Empire.
pg 42
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Churches Carved out of Rock pg 43
Fasil Ghebbi Castle, Ethiopia
FASIL GHEBBI CASTLE ETHIOPIA
Location: Fasil Ghebbi Castle, Ethiopia Date: 16th and 17th centuries Original Name: Castle of the Emperor Fasilidas Current Use: Fasil Ghebbi and the other remains in Gondar city demonstrate a remarkable interface between internal and external cultures
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the fortress-city of Fasil Ghebbi was the residence of the Ethiopian emperor Fasilides and his successors. Surrounded by a 900-m-long wall, the city contains palaces, churches, monasteries and unique public and private buildings marked by Hindu and Arab influences, subsequently transformed by the Baroque style brought to Gondar by the Jesuit missionaries.
Between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries, Ethiopian rulers moved their royal camps requently. King Fasil (Fasilidas) settled in Gondar and established it as a permanent capital in 1636. Before its decline in the late eighteenth century, the royal court had developed from a camp into a fortified compound called Fasil Ghebbi,consisting of six major building complexes and other ancillary buildings, surrounded by a wall 900 metres long, with twelve entrances and three bridges.
pg 44
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Fusion of Swahili Architecture pg 45
The Stone Town of Zanzibar, Tanzania
THE STONE TOWN OF ZANZIBAR TANZANIA
Location: Unguja island into the Indian Ocean Tanzania Date: 18th and 19th centuries Original Name: Old city” in Swahili Current Use: Since 2000, the Stone Town of Zanzibar it was recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The Stone Town of Zanzibar is a fine example of the Swahili coastal trading towns of East Africa. It retains its urban fabric and townscape virtually intact and contains many fine buildings that reflect its particular culture, which has brought together and homogenized disparate elements of the cultures of Africa, the Arab region, India, and Europe over more than a millennium. The buildings of the Stone Town, executed principally in coralline ragstone and mangrove timber, set in a thick lime mortar and then plastered and lime-washed, reflect a complex fusion of Swahili, Indian, Arab and European influences in building traditions and town planning. The two storey houses with long narrow rooms disposed round an open courtyard, reached through a narrow corridor, are distinguished externally by elaborately carved double ‘Zanzibar’ doors, and some by wide vernadahs, and by richly decorated interiors. Together with, the simple ground floor Swahili houses and the narrow façade Indian shops along “bazaar” streets constructed around a commercial space “duka”.
pg 46
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Fusion of Swahili Architecture pg 47
Fiat Tagliero Building, Eriteria
FIAT TAGLIERO BUILDING ERITERIA
Location: Asmara, capital city of Eritrea Date: 1938 Original Name: Fiat Tagliero Building Current Use: The building, used until recently as a Shell service station.It is one of the most important Art Deco buildings that gave to the city of Asmara the UNESCO approval to be a World Heritage Site in July 2017
The Fiat Tagliero Building in Asmara, capital city of Eritrea, is a Futurist-style service station completed in 1938 and designed by the Italian architect Giuseppe Pettazzi. The building resembles to an aeroplane, consisting of the central tower which supports a pair of 15m wings build in reinforced concrete. Its location was strategic in the wider context of Italy’s new Roman Empire in Africa. The building is still structurally sound after 75 years, It stands out as the Historic intervention of Futuristic Modern Style, influencing future Architectural expressions in Asmara and cities in the Continent. Restored in 2003, the service station is “Category I” listed in Eritrea, meaning no part of the building may be altered:
pg 48
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Traditional shapes of Rwamda Culture nod pg 49
Bisate Lodge, Rwanda
BISATE LODGE RWANDA
Location:Ruhengeri Rwanda Date: 2017 Original Name: Bisate Lodge Current Use: Bisate Lodge is run by Wilderness Safaris, one of Africa’’s flagship safari lodge operators. It’s brand new and only opening midway through 2017
Inspired by the rolling hills of Rwanda and the thatched design of the King’s Palace at Nyanza, Bisate sits woven between the lush growths adjacent to Volcanoes National Park. Bisate reflects the innate organic culture of Rwanda and reflects sophisticated spaces around every turn. Craftily designed the spherical rooms and public areas add bespoke and sustainable solutions to he intricate and difficult surroundings. The design is a celebration of modern luxury and a unique culture which has stood the test of time 2017, Bisate Lodge enjoys a truly dramatic natural setting at the heart of an amphitheatre formed by eroded volcano cones. Six conically shaped thatched forest villas are tucked into the lush forest setting, spacious verandas opening out onto magnificent views of the surrounding peaks. The traditional shapes of the suites are a nod to Rwandan culture, while the sumptuous interiors maximise comfort and warmth while making the most of the scenic views.
pg 50
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Contemporary Swahili Architecture pg 53
Vipingo Club House, Kenya
VIPINGO CLUB HOUSE KENYA
Location:Vipingo Ridge, Kenya Date: 2009 Original Name: Vipingo Club House Current Use:
Golf Club House
This building is a good example of contemporary Swahili architecture with its high ceilings, traditional dĂŠcor, and 21st century conveniences. The clubhouse is the heart of a residential development on the coast situated on two 18-hole golf courses. As such, we designed it to be: Located in the center of it all and at the highest point of the plot, A strong presence,Pleasing to the eye, An atmospheric getaway and an interesting view from every angle, hence its regular shape plan, with central open courtyard to allwo lights, linking the four major entrancies into the building Swahili architecture is a term used today to designate a whole range of diverse building traditions practiced or once practiced along the eastern and southeastern coasts of Africa. What is today seen as typically Swahili architecture is still very visible in the thriving urban centers of Mombasa, Lamu and Zanzibar.
pg 54
SOUTHERN
“Context is so important, not to mimic but to become part of the place. I wanted a building that acknowledges its surroundings.� David Adjaye
AFRICA
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
Great Zimbabwe, stone Architecture pg 59
Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
GREAT ZIMBABWE Zimbabwe
Location:Masvingo Province Zimbabwe Date: 14th Century Original Name: Capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe Current Use:
Ruins as Zimbab National Monument
The Great Enclosure, which has the form of an ellipsis, is located to the south of the hills and dates to the 14th century. It was built of cut granite blocks, laid in regular courses, and contains a series of daga-hut living quarters, a community area, and a narrow passage leading to a high conical tower. The bricks (daga) were made from a mixture of granitic sand and clay. Huts were built within the stone enclosure walls; inside each community area other walls mark off each family’s area, generally comprising a kitchen, two living huts and a court. The ruins of Great Zimbabwe – the capital of the Queen of Sheba, according to an age-old legend – are a unique testimony to the Bantu civilization of the Shona between the 11th and 15th centuries. The Great Zimbabwe remains a remarkable achievement, showing a significant human creativity of the 14th century. The assembling of granite stone into a symbolic Architecture of the Bantu People.
pg 60
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Achitectural identity of the Ndebele People pg 61
Ndebele Painted Houses, South Africa
NDEBELE PAINTED HOUSES SOUTH AFRICA
Location: South Africa Date: 18th Century Original Name: The Ndzundza Ndebele people Art Current Use:
The colours give an intensified symbolic meaning to the Ndebele. They can mean status or power of the home’s owners, offer prayer, announce a marriage in the home, or can represent a current protest
The Ndzundza Ndebele people of South Africa created their own tradition and style of house painting: according to a few sources, the Ndebeles suffered a horrible defeat in a war against the Dutch-speaking settlers – the Boers, just before the start of the twentieth century. Forced into an oppressive life, the Ndebele people started using expressive symbols to secretly communicate with each other. These paintings became an expression of both cultural resistance and continuity. The Boer farmers did not understand the meaning and viewed this cultural art as decorative and harmless and thus allowed it to continue. The wall paintings are always done by the women, and this tradition and style is passed down in the families from generation to generation by the mothers. It has therefore become an Architectural Identity, of the Ndebele people pg 62
CONCLU
USION
CONCLUSION Overall review of this brochure reveals a range of diversity from the early centuries, late centuries of 18th and 19th centuries, even unto contemporary designs boldly edifying African Traditional Arts. Perhaps it is possible to have a connection between past African achievement with present or future architectural developments. which offers a wide range of importance preserving the identity of a place, preserving indigenous architecture, preserving the identity of people and allowing for a more sustainable natural development. it would also allow designers and architects to put into a contemporary context, traditional arts forms and indigenous craft of a place. A movement pioneered by French Architect Andre Ravereau (1919 - 2017) known for his reinterpretation of Vernacular Algerian Architecture into a Modern Monuments. The effort by Egyptian Architect Hassan Fathy (1900 - 1989) whose work reestablished the use of Adobe and Mud construction into modern method, respecting Tradition, Heritage and Culture and valuing all walks of Life. As Notable Architects of our era including Sir David Frank Adjaye, Diebedo Francis Kere,Mariam Kamara, Kunle Adeyemi and notable International Architects and Designers, continue to edify traditional arts into modern architecture. It is therefore a sense of responsibility for Architects practising in the Continent to always seek to appreciate the Cultural Heritage in the Landscape, Building and Design forms, adopting this methodology of Contemporary Indigenous Sustainable Design. pg 65
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AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
AFRICAN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE An Academic Internship Research Project Jonathan, Christian Jonathan, Christian ©2020
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