HAA 193X: African Architecture

 Both Italy and France were complicit in the colonization of Africa, like many other countries. But what makes these two colonial powers interesting is the way that they organized the areas that they occupied. The Italian fascists would completely rearrange the cities that they occupied, including the architecture within. For example, areas that were further elevated were reserved for government and military structures, of which were made in an Italian style. A motivating factor behind their imperialism was to further the idealized connection between Mussolini and the Roman Empire. Italian architects enforced these connections through their architecture, using their constructed buildings as a symbol of power.  France, however, was much less rigid in their colonialist philosophies. Towards the more recent years, the French respected the indigenous cultures to some extent, meaning that they would value and preserve related aspects, but was regarded as lower than the mighty Frenc...

Colonialism impacted Africa in many ways, ranging from being partially responsible for disappearances in indigenous architecture and showcasing the resilience of the people who made it, to providing new perspectives on architecture that could be manipulated into something new.  Pictured above is the tolek, a dome building that was created by the Mousgoum until it started disappearing in the 1930's due to "the combination of forced labor under French colonialism, Mousgoum emigration, changes in societal structures, illness, and death" (Nelson 40). The tolek is now being used as a symbol of agency by the Mousgoum, and serves as a form of history. Similarly, in Ghana, many structures have a very British influence from colonization. However, Ghanaians took the British style and specifically adapted aspects for their purpose, such as invoking more asymmetry and incorporating courtyards. As said by Micots, "[h]ybrid architecture in colonial Ghana... reflects status, modern...

     The form of the Susanne Wenger House is rather simple and existed before her time in Osogbo, in the style of an Afro-Brazilian home built in the early 19th century. What is incredibly interesting about her house is how she changed the facade of the home over time, and how it can be rather disjointed at times from the rectangular forms of the building.      She did this over time by commissioning and collecting hundreds of artworks. Nearly every surface of the house is covered by art, usually done by the New Sacred Arts Movement. For example, one of the most notable customizations are the concrete fence sculptures made by Adebisi Akanji, but the house is also covered with carvings and shrine paintings.      This brings into light some of the interesting conversations around people and religion. Susanne customized her space to be a reflection of her religion and community to the degree in which the house would likely be unrecognizable with...

One of the factors that transformed African architecture was African resistance to the slave trade, often through unique adaptation to protect the spaces and the different communities that resided within them, as a method called a “grand pillage” was extremely common. These pillages were led by raiders who captured and enslaved many folk from their daily lives in order to sell them for profit at many coastal towns. Some methods of resistance against raiders included cow horns to alert villages nearby and hiding within local natural forms, such as the three caves of the Daagare people of Sankana.  Nzulezu, Ghana. Photograph by Louis P. Nelson, March 2011.   One particularly interesting method of protection was that of building structures within the water on edges of lakes that were usually hidden visually. Being hidden, as well as being on the water, made villages much harder to access, and therefore more defensible from raiders. This practice can be seen ranging from the Dahom...

 One of the consistent underlying issues between Mali, Ethiopian, Zimbabwe, and Swahili architecture is a lack of consistency throughout shifting ideas around identity, particularly within issues of religion, culture, and location. Both Ethiopia and Swahili are located in areas that create an issue similar to a congestion of different motifs, as Ethiopia is located near the origins of Christianity which causes many different combinations of interpretations of the Bible in architecture. Similarly, Swahili is located very close to the Middle East and Asia, and as a result has a large fusion of architecture of which “origin” has been historically debated. Zimbabwe, contrastingly, struggles to interpret the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, especially as further research leads to more questions. Religion has also led to destruction of architecture, especially within the context of the Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali, which was worn down purposefully by Sekou Amadou. As destroying a mosque is for...

In my space, our two “sides” are organized with symmetry and balance in mind, such as our mirrors and beds being arranged in the same way, which suggests that this is a place with communication between both of us, and a partnership. This is further illustrated by the theming, such as the flowers hanging from the center of our ceiling and the tapestry blocking the door. The amount of decoration that was put into the room but the quality of the pieces means that we care a lot about curating a space but don’t have the money to invest as much. The room is accessible, indicating that one or more of the folk staying are disabled. You can actually see our flowers in the background of the picture, as well as my various strawberry lanterns. While it’s very clear I love pink, what I wanted to focus on in my room is the top of my dresser. It showcases most of my important belongings and things I collect, crystals and eclectic items from nature, jewelry, and possibly too many trinkets. This space ...