Glavproekt’s Marine Drive Project: Master-planning through landmark design Megha Paudyal and Niall Coleman Research Methods - Accra Futurisms
Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES REVIEW
MASTERPLAN ANALYSIS
GIS COMPARSIONS AND DISCREPANCIES
EVIDENCE OF CONSIDERED BUILDING DESIGN
Abstract
CONCLUSION
During the 1960s, Bulgarian Architects Glavproekt were commissioned to design a masterplan for the Marine Drive area in Accra to represent the new post-independence Ghana. Glavproekt’s proposal was driven by the detailed design of monumental landmarks, each encapsulating the socialist vision rising in Nkrumah’s Ghana. This essay aims to speculate the context of which the masterplan was designed by analysing the range of sources accessible, particularly through utilising GIS to digitise the masterplan [Figure 2] and compare it to other cartographic materials. The research raises questions on whether the architect’s approach to master planning through individual buildings was justified. Was this due to a lack of sources available to them as a foreign design team or the post-modern architectural culture of the time?
APPENDIX
A. TRANSLATION OF THE PUBLICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BILIOGRAPHY
Key
Figure 1 - The Marine Drive area marked on an Openstreet map fron 2018 on QGIS (created by the authors, 2020)
Figure 2 - The digitised masterplan completed on QGIS (created by the authors, 2020)
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Introduction Multiple masterplans have been proposed for the Marine Drive area in the past, signifying its importance, however, none of them have been fully implemented. The vision for the site in Accra’s town planning history has been to retain it as a publicly used open space with some scope for recreational buildings (TCPD, 1958). Radical headlines showing the prevalence of socialism and the heavy criticism of imperialism can be observed in the Ghanaian Times Newspapers during the early 1960s [Figure 5] During Nkrumah’s rule, many architects from socialist countries from Eastern Europe were invited to Ghana to contribute to the development of Accra. One way was through Soviet architects being employed by the GNCC (Ghana National Construction Co-operation) where architects collaborated closely with and often under Ghanaian colleagues in Accra. Alternatively, some foreign design teams delivered projects from abroad, often basing their designs on limited visits to the site and with little knowledge of the local materials, climatic conditions and social needs (Stanek, 2015). The design team responsible for this masterplan fall under the latter of the categories. Glavproekt were Bulgarian architects who, in conjunction with Technoexport (a foreign trade organisation) were employed by the Republic of Ghana to design 3 masterplans for Accra during the early ’60s, first of which was for the Marine Drive area (Anon. 1964). Ultimately the project was shelved and never constructed however it is still remembered as the ‘Bulgarian masterplan’ showing the impact it had.
Figure 3 - Image of the original masterplan proposed by Glavproekt, as published in the Bulgarian journal article (Anon. 1964)
Figure 4- 1958 masterplan proposed for Accra by the Town and Country Planning Department (TCPD, 1958) Figure 5- Ghanaian Times (1962) spreadsheets with Socialist values being promoted throughout. Nkrumah’s rule encourages development considering local culture and Showing early signs of development through a Korle Lagoon proposed scheme (Sources from the British Library, 1962) Page 3
Research Methodology & Sources Review The research was conducted to understand the context of which the masterplan was designed however, it was difficult to gather information due to the lack of sources available [Figure 6]. The main source used was a Bulgarian journal article published in 1964 which required translating (found in the appendix). This compromised the reliability of the source as the material retrieved is based on the translator’s interpretation of the text. The information was vague, especially regarding the main masterplan. Hence, alternative sources and methods of analysis had to be obtained to understand the masterplan and its aims. They were: •
Journal Articles about the development of post-colonial Ghana
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Newspaper Articles published in Accra in the early 1960s, archived at the British library
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GIS and the Accra Database as a tool to understand the history of Accra’s development. By overlaying the maps, similarities and discrepancies were observed between the Glavproekt Masterplan and other maps available on the database
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External Maps from Accra archived at the British Library
As the article is published in Bulgarian, it can be assumed that its purpose is to present the architects’ work in Ghana to a Bulgarian audience rather than conveying the design to the Ghanaian public, which explains the vague nature of the information provided. From critically analysing the journal article, the main observations were the publication’s focus on individual buildings and their specific design characteristics rather than the masterplan. This is evident through the various detailed drawings and models presented of the buildings whilst the masterplan itself is left ambiguous with no key, reference marks or sub-text making it difficult to understand it. The only information accompanying it is the legend for the buildings, which posed difficulties whilst re-constructing the masterplan on GIS as most of the information, such as what the surfaces and road lines represented had to be interpreted, so the digitised map is mainly based on speculations. The importance given to the building design suggest that the architects were designing a collection of buildings and their surroundings rather than an overall masterplan
The lack of context in the masterplan points towards the architects’ lack of knowledge of the existing site conditions and its surroundings. As they were designing from abroad, they may have faced a shortage of sources available to them. The image of the masterplan is suspected to be a photograph of a model [Figure 3} due to the presence of shadows and the appearance of the writing and numbers resembling paper cut-outs. This could explain the lack of surrounding context as they would not have modelled everything. The use of a model whilst masterplanning shows that the designers were thinking in terms of volumes which demonstrated the difference between the architect’s approach to planning against the urban planners’ approach which would mostly be zoning.
Figure 6 - Images of the publication which were the main source for the research
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2.
Masterplan Analysis As part of Nkrumah’s push to modernise post-independence Ghana, there was a drive to develop different forms of infrastructure such as transport and irrigation with-in the city (Stanek,2015). The Glavproekt masterplan encourages the development of leisure and cultural infrastructure in Accra through the introduction of new building typologies and programmes of activity to the area [Figure 7]. The socialist influence is evident through the proposal of multiple cinemas and theatres, which were often key devices used for socialist propaganda. The transport infrastructure on-site is focused on pedestrian access with vehicle use restricted for services only. This allows for the abundance of large, open gathering spaces which would hold public events and rallies, ideal for spreading socialist views. The masterplan encapsulates the society Nkrumah was pushing for, one which catered for the elitist and tourists, shown through the presence of the Yacht Club, Casino and extravagant hotels. However, it also delivers spaces which aim to unite the citizens of Accra, for example, the open theatre, cinemas, landscaped areas and the upgrading of the beach to be used by all. In post-colonial Ghana, there was a focus on building important landmarks such as the Independence Arch in Black Star Square (Stanek, 2015). The masterplan provides monumental buildings aimed to represent the new progressive country and the visual identity of the capital of Pan-Africa. Grand buildings such as the dramatic open-air cinema are positioned near the public independence square [Figure 8]. Other landmarks, such as the twentyfour-storey dominating hotel, are placed strategically along the major vehicle routes, increasing their visibility [Figure 9]. This considered placement of the buildings hints at the building centred approach to the masterplan as they dictate the arrangement of the secondary spaces such as the landscaped areas.
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This approach may have been a consequence of the architectural culture of creating monumental buildings during that era, which explains the visual language of the buildings and their grand nature, also emblematic of the socialist ideals. In the broader context of this masterplan, working from the building outwards may even be deemed appropriate as one of its main aims was to provide landmark buildings for the city, therefore the importance lies in the individual spaces rather than the overall masterplan.
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Figure 7 - QGIS drawing of Glavproekt’s 8 programs and the categorised building uses (Created by the Author by QGIS, 2020)
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Key 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Service roads
Proposed iconic buildings
Independence Square
Existing or iconic landmarks
Cinemas and theatres
Major road lines
Figure 8 - QGIS drawing of Glavproekt’s 8 programs and the categorised building uses (Created by the Author by QGIS, 2020)
Casino Theatre with 2000 seats Summer Theatre for 300 people Cinema theatre Hotel with bar Hotel Yacht Club Swimming pool
Figure 9 - QGIS drawing of Glavproekt’s 8 programs and the categorised building uses (Created by the Author by QGIS, 2020) Page 5
GIS Comparisons and Discrepancies By digitising the masterplan on GIS and utilising the database on Accra, comparisons could be made with the previous masterplans and surveys of the same site [Figure 10]. The main similarities were found whilst overlaying the 1958 masterplan for Accra, which suggests that it was one of the main sources available to the Bulgarian design team. The Glavproekt masterplan adheres to the zoning guides set in the town plan, for example, the Marine Drive area has been retained as open spaces with the presence of some recreational use buildings, as stated in the 1958 plan. The private use buildings such as the two high-rise hotels located in James town which was allocated as a high housing density zone in the plan [Figure 11]. The masterplan preserves most of the traffic infrastructure proposed in the 1958 plan, except for the route intersecting the site which was removed to keep the area vehicle free and allow for large landscaped spaces. Again, this maintains the vision in the town plan which aimed for Marine Drive to ‘have a coastal open space which any capital city would be proud of’ and act as a façade for Accra (TCPD, 1958).
A few differences were found when overlaying the various maps on GIS, for example, the scale of the proposed buildings is larger than the existing structures on site, which seems appropriate as the new buildings serve a more public function [Figure 12]. However, there were also some discrepancies which point towards the architects’ lack of knowledge of the existing site. One indication of this is the failure of the masterplan to show or address the existing railway line. Many of the existing parliamentary buildings to the north of the site have also been demolished and replaced with generic blocks. The architects stressed the importance of grand landmarks on their proposal yet failed to recognise the existing buildings on the site such as the Arts Centre and the Anglican Church, both of which were marked as landmarks on the 1965 tourist map. As the design team were based in Sofia, we can deduce that these discrepancies may be a consequence of the limited access to the site along with the scarcity of sources they possibly faced to base their design on, which perhaps lead them to conjecture parts of the existing site and its context.
Discrepancy - Demolished important landmark - Arts Centre
Discrepancy - Demolished important landmark Government ministry
Discrepancy - Demolished important landmark - Anglican Church
Discrepancy - Demolished Jamestown neighbourhood for main road
Figure 10 - The multiple discrepancies found through QGIS (Created by the Author by QGIS, 2020) (Google Maps. (2020).
Discrepancy - Demolished railway.
Key
Figure 12 - A comparsion of scale between the proposed Glavproekt buildings and the existing buildings around Marine Drive and Ussher-town (created by the authors, 2020)
Figure 11- Comparison of 1958 Master-plan showing similarities to the 1958 Masterplan through highdensity housing in Jamestown and large open spaces around the Marine Drive area (created by the authors, 2020) Page 6
Evidence for Considered Building Design Although the overall masterplan is ambiguous, the design of the individual buildings shows incredible sensitivity to space and its location. This is evident through the detailed plans, models and perspectives of the buildings displayed in the published article, which portray the architects’ visions for the site’s use. An indication of the research into the local context was seen through the adaptation of the designs to the tropical climate [Figure 14]. The façade of the hotel incorporated metre-long louvres for shading. The presence of the open-air cinema with large canopies catered to the climate whilst palm trees were placed strategically to shade the swimming pools and open spaces. The casino and amphitheatre are both embedded within the terrain, showing the influence of topography on the design [Figure 14]. This contrast in the levels of details with-in the proposal suggests that the masterplan was a collection of carefully designed buildings and their surroundings, which were stitched together to form the larger strategy. This might also explain the discrepancies found earlier as the architect’ focus was on the immediate site of each building rather than the broader site and its context.
Figure 13 - Images taken from the article showing a model of the Amphitheatre and a section of the Casino, and how topography has influenced their designs. (Anon. 1964)
These observations show how the architects were able to utilise the limited sources available to them yet still design to such detail whilst working from abroad. The different types of engagement the designers had with the site are demonstrated through their implementation of the information they found through various methods of research. For example, the changing topography of the site was probably detected on the 1958 town plan, allowing them to design accordingly. Some of the perspectives seem to be drawn from a realistic view-point [Figure 15] meaning they were either drawn on-site or from a photograph, implying that they did have some opportunities to visit the site itself. Although there might have been inaccuracies with the masterplan, the considerations for the locality from the architects’ behalf is evident through their comprehensively designed buildings.
Figure 14 - Images showing the dramatically curved Open Cinema and how the large canopy shows the consideration for the climate. The perspective of the building also shows the consideration given to its surrounding which seem to be landscaped in detail. (Anon. 1964)
Figure 15 - Perspective of the juxtoposition of the 24-storey hotel next to the existing church. The comparison between this image and the current view on site show that it was a realistic view.(Anon. 1964)(current image sourced from Google maps-2020)
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Figure 3 - Image of the original masterplan proposed by Glavproekt, as published in the Bulgarian journal article (Anon. 1964)
Conclusions Analysing Glavproekt’s masterplan for the Marine Drive area has highlighted the contradicting nature of the proposal, where the overall strategy seems vague and based on limited knowledge of the existing site, as shown through the GIS analysis. However, there is also evidence to suggest that the ambiguous nature of the masterplan might be driven by the architects’ building-centred approach in designing the urban strategy. This is demonstrated through our analysis of the contents published in the journal article, which itself is largely focused on exhibiting the individual building designs. The designs of the landmark buildings show the careful considerations given to the spatial programme and its locality, suggesting that the main aim of architects’ was to deliver comprehensively designed buildings and their immediate surroundings, which consequently generated the broader strategy for the area. Glavproekt’s unconventional approach to masterplanning raises questions about the cultural differences between the architects’ approach to planning compared to urban planners. In particular, the difference in the scales of working between the two disciplines where the planner works on a broader context with a focus on zoning, whereas the architects’ approach is to work from the building outwards. This contrast of approach is especially evident when comparing Glavproekt’s masterplan against the (date)masterplan designed by the Town and Country Planning Department (TCPD) for the same area. There are obvious disparities between the level of detail shown on the masterplan itself [Figure 16]. The TCPD masterplan mainly focuses on the zoning of the space, specifying the variety of programmes, whereas the buildings take centre-stage on Glavproekt’s proposal. The working relationships between the two disciplines become interesting when they intersect, evident in the Korle Lagoon development during the early ’60s, where Glavproekt designed the sports complex within the larger masterplan lead by TCPD. Questions arise about which approach is superior in the context of Marine Drive in post-independence Ghana as it could be argued that Glavproekt’s attitude towards master planning was most appropriate to portray Nkrumah’s progressive vision for Accra.
Figure 16 - The masterplan for the Marine Drive complex proposed by the Town and Country Planning Department in the early 1960s.(Sourced: TCPD Marine Drive, Private Archive, Warsaw, Poland)
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Appendix
TRANSCRIPT FROM THE CONVERSATION WITH A BULGARIAN TRANSLATOR FOR: “Kompleks ‘kraibrezhna zona’ v Akra—Gana,” Arkhitektura 7 (1964): 34-7 Ghana employed this company to develop three of their biggest urban planning complexes. The first of them was taken by the seaside zone of the capital. These buildings have already been completed and been evaluated to the highest quality THEIR OPINION. This is the seaside zone of Accra. It has the length of 4.5km. 400 by 600m in the shape of an arch. Facing towards the southeast, towards the ocean. The site is co-ordinated towards the coastline and in the western part is quite steep while the eastern part is very board and flat and sandy beaches. This zone has very important role in the city as the façade of the capital and the gateway to the rest of the world as they will approach the city by sea and for that reason it caters for a social, cultural and recreational area. General plan 1. Casino 2. Theatre with 2000 seats 3. Summer Theatre for 300 people 4. Cinema theatre 5. Hotel with bar 6. Hotel 7. Yacht Club 8. Swimming pool Page 35 4. Casino with internal courtyard In this area, there are pre-existing areas. There is the harbour, a fort, a Catherdal, important landmark, residences of the president, immediately connected to the residences of the ministries, so the new plan was to emphasizes the importance of the ocean and the beach zone. Ocean is the main factor. In the planning zone, a very adaptive system is conducted and very flexible connected to the existing city grid. The administrative and the formal nature of the zone was emphasised at this level. The internal area is stripped from public transport and only service roads are allowed with no vehicles. The zone relates to the city via a board boulevard with 4 lanes. In the very centre of the area, a huge casino is based with restaurants, bars, games and an open courtyard. It’s the square building on the page. On a huge area, are urbanised beach facilities, dressings room, shaded umbrellas, swimming pools, which is required due to the harsh tides, with waves reaching as high as 6 metres. The architecture of the casino is constrained and minimal. The board proportions and the linear elements for the shaders and lighting fixtures reflect the climatic conditions of the area. Page 36 This is even more prominent in the 2000-seater theatre, located on the main axis of the casino. This is a vast concrete shell, which seems to be formed by huge leaves gently bent. This interesting architectural gesture is required because of the surrounding buildings having a stricter order or more architectural constraints. In the western side of the zone. asymmetrically placed 24 storey high hotel with 400 units which is the dominant building in the complex. In the podium are all the fitted services for the building and suitable places found for swimming pools and restaurants which can be used by the guests of the hotel and the general public. The top body/volume has been designed and extremely clearly. For the services are in the court and the facades are freed, segmented and split by metre long lovers, which is needed for shaded. Every floor has ventilation and air-conditioned. Page 36 and 37 The amphitheatre - The building is dug into the steep terrain. The rocks have been left to invade the internal spaces. Huge, vast spaces of 32 metres are covered. 5. Summer Open Theatre 1300 people 6. Cinema theatre 7. Exhibition Hall 8. Official Hotel 9. Entertainment 10. Bar 11. Circulation 12. Hotel Page 9
Acknowledgements We would like to thank Lukasz Stanek, Adam Przywara and fellow students of the Research Methods: Accra Futurism group.
Bibliography Acheampong, R. (2018). Spatial planning in Ghana. Origins, Contemporary Reforms and practices, and New Perspectives. Springer, pp.Pages 29-59. Stanek, Lukasz, (2015), Architects from Socialist Countries in Ghana (1957–67): Modern Architecture and Mondialisation, University of California Press Accra: TCPD (1958)1958 master plan: B. A. W. Trevallion, Alan G. Hood under the direction of W. H. Barrett, “Accra: A Plan for the Town: The Report for the Minister of Housing” Anonymous Author (1964), “Sporten kompleks v Akra—Gana,” Arkhitektura 9-10 (1963): 12-7 Anonymous Author (1964), “Kompleks ‘kraibrezhna zona’ v Akra—Gana,” Arkhitektura 7 (1964): 34-7 Korle Lagoon: Private archive, Warsaw, Poland TCPD Marine Drive: Private archive, Warsaw, Poland Google Maps. (2020). Google Maps. [online] Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@5.5478767,0.1975351,3a,75y,335.42h,96.17t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1speA_rmZGWp5CvsQIrPi9Yw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en\ [Accessed 10 Jan. 2020]. Newspaper articles - Retrieved from the British Library on 13/01/2020 Amamoo, Joseph. (1962) ‘A big leap towards socialism.’ The Ghanaian Times, 10th January 1962. City edition, p. 2. No author is given use [Anon.] (1962) ‘Korle Lagoon: 4922 are to get new homes’ The Ghanaian Times, 10th January 1962. City edition, p. 1. No author is given use [Anon.] (1962) ‘Socialism will conquer imperialism’ The Ghanaian Times, 1st January 1962. City edition, p. 2. No author is given use [Anon.] (1962) ‘Mikoyan: Ideas must reflect local culture’ The Ghanaian Times, 12th January 1962, p. 1. Images Referencing Google Maps. (2020). Google Maps. [online] Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@5.5478767,0.1975351,3a,75y,335.42h,96.17t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1speA_rmZGWp5CvsQIrPi9Yw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en\ [Accessed 10 Jan. 2020]. (Used by Figure ) Google Maps. (2020). Google Maps. [online] Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@5.5478767,0.1975351,3a,75y,335.42h,96.17t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1speA_rmZGWp5CvsQIrPi9Yw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en\ [Accessed 10 Jan. 2020]. (Used by Figure )
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