Reviews
BOOK REVIEW
African Modernism: The Architecture of Independence
Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Zambia
T
he late 1950s and early
1960s saw a large number
of central and sub-Saharan
African countries gaining
independence, and one
of the key ways in which
they expressed their newly
established national identity
was through distinctive
architecture. Parliament
buildings, stadiums, universities, central
banks, convention centres, and other major
public buildings and housing projects
were built in daring, even heroic designs –
markers of the bright future these nations
envisioned after independence.
African Modernism is the first book to take a
close look at the relationship between these
cutting-edge architectural projects and
the processes of nation building in Ghana,
Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Zambia.
Presenting some seven hundred colour
photographs by celebrated photographers
Iwan Baan and Alexia Webster and
insightful analyses of the interactions
of architectural innovation and developing national political and social cultures, African
Modernism will be of interest to historians of architecture and Africa alike.
“Documenting the grand, optimistic architecture of the post-independence era in Africa, this
gorgeous book introduces us to an extraordinary collection of unfamiliar buildings. Their
ambitious Modernism was meant to herald a new era; their subsequent neglect and decay tell
another story. Yet these structures still dictate the public space and image of many African cities
–indeed, they have survived partly because of the poverty and dysfunctional systems that surround
them.” (Financial Times)
AUTHORS: Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos
PUBLISHER: Park Books
ISBN: 978-3906027746 PAGES: 640
Click here to purchase the book
africandesignmagazine.com
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