#FromMarginToCenter: Afrocentric Architecture: History

Indigenous African Architecture by René Gardi; Sigrid MacRae

From Cameroon to Paris: Mousgoum Architecture In & Out of Africa by Steven Nelson The kind of extraordinary domed house constructed by Chad and Cameroon?s Mousgoum peoples has long held sway over the Western imagination. In fact, as Steven Nelson shows here, this prototypical beehive-shaped structure known as the teleukhas been cast as everything from a sign of authenticity to a tourist destination to a perfect fusion of form and function in an unselfconscious culture. And in this multifaceted history of the teleuk, thought of by the Mousgoum themselves as a three-dimensional symbol of their culture, Nelson charts how a singular building?s meaning has the capacity to change over time and in different places. Drawing on fieldwork in Cameroon and Japan as well as archival research in Africa, the United States, and Europe, Nelson explores how the teleuk has been understood by groups ranging from contemporary tourists to the Cameroonian government and?most importantly?today?s Mousgoum people. In doing so, he moves in and out of Africa to provide a window into a changing Mousgoum culture and to show how both African and Western peoples use the built environment to advance their own needs and desires. Highlighting the global impact of African architecture, From Cameroon to Paris will appeal to scholars and students of African art history and architectural history, as well as those interested in Western interactions with Africa.

Global Heritage Assemblages by Christoph Rausch UNESCO aims to tackle Africa's under-representation on its World Heritage List by inscribing instances of nineteenth- and twentieth-century modern architecture and urban planning there. But, what is one to make of the utopias of progress and development for which these buildings and sites stand? After all, concern for 'modern heritage' invariably--and paradoxically it seems--has to reckon with those utopias as problematic futures of the past, a circumstance complicating intentions to preserve a recent 'culture' of modernization on the African continent. This book, a new title in Routledge's Studies in Culture and Development series, introduces the concept of 'global heritage assemblages' to analyse that problem. Based on extensive anthropological fieldwork, it describes how various governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental actors engage with colonial and post-colonial built heritage found in Eritrea, Tanzania, Niger, and the Republic of the Congo. Rausch argues that the global heritage assemblages emerging from those examples produce problematizations of the modern', which ultimately indicate a contemporary need to rescue modernity from its dominant conception as an all-encompassing, epochal, and spatial culture.

Modern Architecture in Africa : Practical Encounters with Intricate African Modernity by Antoni Folkers; Belinda A.C. van Buiten

Modern Architecture and Climate by Daniel A. Barber How climate influenced the design strategies of modernist architects Modern Architecture and Climate explores how leading architects of the twentieth century incorporated climate-mediating strategies into their designs, and shows how regional approaches to climate adaptability were essential to the development of modern architecture. Focusing on the period surrounding World War II--before fossil-fuel powered air-conditioning became widely available--Daniel Barber brings to light a vibrant and dynamic architectural discussion involving design, materials, and shading systems as means of interior climate control. He looks at projects by well-known architects such as Richard Neutra, Le Corbusier, Lúcio Costa, Mies van der Rohe, and Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, and the work of climate-focused architects such as MMM Roberto, Olgyay and Olgyay, and Cliff May. Drawing on the editorial projects of James Marston Fitch, Elizabeth Gordon, and others, he demonstrates how images and diagrams produced by architects helped conceptualize climate knowledge, alongside the work of meteorologists, physicists, engineers, and social scientists. Barber describes how this novel type of environmental media catalyzed new ways of thinking about climate and architectural design. Extensively illustrated with archival material, Modern Architecture and Climate provides global perspectives on modern architecture and its evolving relationship with a changing climate, showcasing designs from Latin America, Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and Africa. This timely and important book reconciles the cultural dynamism of architecture with the material realities of ever-increasing carbon emissions from the mechanical cooling systems of buildings, and offers a historical foundation for today's zero-carbon design.

A Land and Life Remembered by Max Belcher; Rodger P. Kingston (Afterword by)

Back of the Big House by John Michael Vlach Behind the "Big Houses" of the antebellum South existed a different world, socially and architecturally, where slaves lived and worked. John Michael Vlach explores the structures and spaces that formed the slaves' environment. Through photographs and the words of former slaves, he portrays the plantation landscape from the slaves' own point of view. The plantation landscape was chiefly the creation of slaveholders, but Vlach argues convincingly that slaves imbued this landscape with their own meanings. Their subtle acts of appropriation constituted one of the more effective strategies of slave resistance and one that provided a locus for the formation of a distinctive African American culture in the South. Vlach has chosen more than 200 photographs and drawings from the Historic American Buildings Survey--an archive that has been mined many times for its images of the planters' residences but rarely for those of slave dwellings. In a dramatic photographic tour, Vlach leads readers through kitchens, smokehouses, dairies, barns and stables, and overseers' houses, finally reaching the slave quarters. To evoke a firsthand sense of what it was like to live and work in these spaces, he includes excerpts from the moving testimonies of former slaves drawn from the Federal Writers' Project collections.

Historic Architecture in the Caribbean Islands by Edward E. Crain "For those who are explorers and are curious to know more about the culture of the Caribbean, this book is a useful guide to the significant structures on each island."--Thomas S. Marvel, architect, Puerto Rico "A comprehensive, panoramic vision of architecture in this important geographic region."--Efrain E. P#65533;rez-Chanis, architect and former dean, School of Architecture, University of Puerto Rico In this abundantly illustrated book, Edward Crain records the rich architectural heritage of the sixteen Caribbean islands.  Hundreds of black-and-white and color photographs, most taken by the author, show in detail structures with arresting visual appeal and lasting historic value.  Crain explores the physical, cultural, and political factors that influenced design evolution in the region, including climate, geography, the cultures of early occupants, colonial exploration, military control, immigration, and slavery.  He observes that colonial influence dominated architectural development and concludes that designs from the mother countries (Spain, England, France, Denmark, and the Netherlands), while often elegant or delightful, were just as often inappropriate for the tropics.  The Schoelcher Museum in Guadeloupe, for example, embodies the values of French classicism; the Catholic church in Kingston, Jamaica, recalls the Byzantine revival sty≤ the Fox Delicias Theater in Ponce, Puerto Rico, is an example of Art Deco design.  Urban design in the Spanish colonies reflects the dictates of the Law of the Indies, which mandated a grid pattern for all streets (even those through hilly terrain) and a central plaza in each town.  With its gabled, red-tiled roofs, the capital of Curacao--named Willemstad for Dutch King Willem--is nicknamed "Amsterdam in Miniature."  "Architecture succeeded when nostalgia was replaced by logic, when a recognition of tropical demands was reflected in the buildings," Crain writes.  When designers realized that the basic function of a Caribbean structure was to offer protection from rain and sun, they introduced such elements as verandas, porches, fretwork, and louvered shutters.   Following architectural development from the time of early Amerindian habitation of the islands up to World War II, Crain groups buildings by type: large and small residences, military facilities, public and institutional structures, and places of worship.    Edward E. Crain works as an architectural educator.  When he retired as professor of architecture at the University of Florida, he served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica, where he helped set up the Caribbean School of Architecture.  He is a member of the American Institute of Architects.

The Crisis of the African-American Architect by Melvin L. Mitchell

Tropical Architecture by Wolfgang Lauber; Klaus Ferstl (Editor); Eckhart Ribbeck (Editor); Peter Cheret (Contribution by) This forward-thinking survey considers the challenges of making buildings that withstand the vagaries of climate, economy, and limited resources in the tropics. Illustrated throughout

Moorish Architecture by Marianne Barrucand; Achim Bednorz Spain owes its special historical position in Europe very largely to his intensive encounter with the Orient. In the summer of 710, a small force under the command of a Berber named Ta#65533; f ibn M#65533; lik landed to the west of Gibraltar. The Islamic armies that followed in its wake succeeded in conquering large areas of Spain within a short span of years. The conquerors gave the country the name of ""al-andalus."" Thus began a period of cultural permeation that was to last for almost 800 years. In spite of intolerance and animosity, there developed between Muslims, Christians, and Jews a shared cultural environment that proved the basis for great achievements. Moorish-Andalusian art and architecture combine elements of various traditions into a new, autonomous style. Among the outstanding architectural witnesses to this achievement are the Great Mosque in Cordova and the Alhambra in Granada, recognized and admired as part of the world's heitage right up to the present day. They are described in detail in this book. The main centres of Hispano-Islamic art and architecture, the cities of Cordova, Seville and Granada, are discussed within the chronological framework of developments, both political and cultural, from 710 to 1492.

Dark Space by Mario Gooden This collection of essays by architect Mario Gooden investigates the construction of African American identity and representation through the medium of architecture. These five texts move between history, theory, and criticism to explore a discourse of critical spatial practice engaged in the constant reshaping of the African Diaspora. African American cultural institutions designed and constructed in recent years often rely on cultural stereotypes, metaphors, and clich??s to communicate significance, demonstrating "Africanisms" through form and symbolism?but there is a far richer and more complex heritage to be explored. Presented here is a series of questions that interrogate and illuminate other narratives of "African American architecture," and reveal compelling ways of translating the philosophical idea of the African Diaspora's experience into space.

David Adjaye: Living Spaces by David Adjaye; Peter Allison (Editor) A dazzling tour of fifteen contemporary houses designed by David Adjaye, one of the most influential architects of his generation Houses or domestic buildings are often among the first projects young architects design. For David Adjaye, such early commissions connected him to a rising generation of creators with whom he shared a range of sensibilities. His artistry, clever use of space, and inexpensive, unexpected materials resulted in many innovative and widely published houses. After fifteen years of practice and a raft of high-profile projects around the world--including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC--houses represent a smaller portion of Adjaye's work but are more potent as a result. Selecting projects that are challenging because of their sites, complexity, or architectural possibility, Adjaye has both expanded and sharpened his domestic design, taking it in new directions and to new locations. This monograph presents the fifteen finest and most recent examples, from Africa to Brooklyn, from desolate farmlands to urban jungles. Chronicled through informed descriptions and detailed and photographically rich visual documentation, the results testify to the importance of Adjaye's growing inventiveness and provide powerful ideas for residential architecture.

An Architecture of Education by Angel David Nieves This volume focuses broadly on the history of the social welfare reform work of nineteenth-century African American women who founded industrial and normal schools in the American South. Through their work in architecture and education, these women helped to memorialize the trauma and struggle of black Americans. Author Angel David Nieves tells the story of women such as Elizabeth Evelyn Wright (1872-1906), founder of the Voorhees Industrial School (now Voorhees College) in Denmark, South Carolina, in 1897, who not only promoted a program of race uplift through industrial education but also engaged with many of the pioneering African American architects of the period to design a school and surrounding community. Similarly, Jane (Jennie) Serepta Dean (1848-1913), a former slave, networked with elite Northern white designers to found the Manassas Industrial School in Manassas, Virginia, in 1892. An Architecture of Education examines the work of these women educators and reformers as a form of nascent nation building, noting the ways in which the social and political ideology of race uplift and gendered agency that they embodied was inscribed on the built environment through the design and construction of these model schools. In uncovering these women's role in the shaping of African American public spheres in the post-Reconstruction South, the book makes an important contribution to the history of African Americans' long struggle for equality and civil rights in the United States. Angel David Nieves is Professor of History and Digital Humanities at San Diego State University.scent nation building, noting the ways in which the social and political ideology of race uplift and gendered agency that they embodied was inscribed on the built environment through the design and construction of these model schools. In uncovering these women's role in the shaping of African American public spheres in the post-Reconstruction South, the book makes an important contribution to the history of African Americans' long struggle for equality and civil rights in the United States. Angel David Nieves is Professor of History and Digital Humanities at San Diego State University.scent nation building, noting the ways in which the social and political ideology of race uplift and gendered agency that they embodied was inscribed on the built environment through the design and construction of these model schools. In uncovering these women's role in the shaping of African American public spheres in the post-Reconstruction South, the book makes an important contribution to the history of African Americans' long struggle for equality and civil rights in the United States. Angel David Nieves is Professor of History and Digital Humanities at San Diego State University.scent nation building, noting the ways in which the social and political ideology of race uplift and gendered agency that they embodied was inscribed on the built environment through the design and construction of these model schools. In uncovering these women's role in the shaping of African American public spheres in the post-Reconstruction South, the book makes an important contribution to the history of African Americans' long struggle for equality and civil rights in the United States. Angel David Nieves is Professor of History and Digital Humanities at San Diego State University.icans' long struggle for equality and civil rights in the United States. Angel David Nieves is Professor of History and Digital Humanities at San Diego State University.

Spectacular Vernacular: Traditional Desert Architecture from West Africa and Southwest Asia by Jean-Louis Bourgeois

The Anatomy of Architecture by Suzanne Preston Blier

An Introduction to Nigerian Traditional Architecture by Z.R. Dmochowski

The Architectures of Nigeria by Kevin Carroll This work describes the traditional architectures of the western half of Nigeria, covering the huge area from the Hausa people of the north to the Yoruba people of the south.

Drawn from African Dwellings by Jean-Paul Bourdier; Trinh T. Minh-Ha (As told to) .."". an elegant and lyrical work.... It opens up our understanding of space and built environments in new and exciting ways."" -- Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review ""The book offers marvellous drawings of complex patterns of structure, design and object, coupled with connections to the daily lives of the inhabitants. In itself, this book is an essential addition to what Indiana University Press has aptly described as 'the understanding of vernacular architecture'."" -- West Africa .."". a magnificent achievement; [the authors] set an objective and a standard in vernacular architecture research which is without parallel. The text is clear and careful, sensitive to the cultures yet quietly rigorous. The drawings are outstanding and have been exceptionally well reproduced in a book whose quality of production matches that of the content."" -- Paul Oliver .."". a lasting monument to African architectures.... a fine creation, a collage of marvelous graphic images, earnest research, good writing, careful thinking."" -- Henry Glassie ""Scholars are realizing how important it is to provide a rich, thick cultural and social setting when they attempt to explore art.... This book does that for architecture."" -- Patrick R. McNaughton .."". will be regarded as an important contribution to the understanding of vernacular architecture."" -- Berkeley Tri-City Post .."". a stunning piece of work... An important contribution to architecture..."" -- FIST, Afrocentric On-line Magazine ""The photographs and drawings are fascinating. "" -- The New Brunswick Reader Architect Jean-Paul Bourdier and cultural critic and filmmaker Trinh T. Minh-ha take us into the traditionally built dwellings of African society in this richly illustrated book. Through this ""life-in-architecture"" we see material evidence of a culture, its socio-economic and cosmological organization, its way of living, and its world view.

Butabu by James Morris (Photographer); Suzanne Preston Blier (Text by) Many think that sub-Saharan African architecture is little more than mud huts. Mud, yes--but certainly not huts. Instead, these adobe buildings, many of them enormous, show sublime sculptural beauty, variety, ingenuity, and originality. In the Sahal region of western Africa--Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, and Burkina Faso--people have been constructing earthen buildings for centuries. But they remain unknown to most of the Western world. Their plastic forms--from simple stairways, to ornamented domes, to complex arches--are highlighted by subtle painting and intricate grillwork. James Morris spent four months photographing these hidden jewels, from the great mosque at Djenne--the largest mud building in the world--to small houses in remote animist communities. Butabu shows these works as both aesthetic treasures and as architecture with contemporary relevance. These are no museum pieces, but rather buildings that continue to be maintained and built, even as they are threatened by the uncertainties of weather and the encroachment of Western technology. Text by Suzanne Preston Blier covers the history of earthen architecture, the technology that creates it, and the symbolism of its form.

Vernacular Architecture of West Africa by Jean-Paul Bourdier; Trinh T. Minh-ha The dwellings of hundreds of African ethnic groups offer a variety of conceptions and building practices that contradict the widespread image of the primitive hut commonly attributed to rural Africa. Each house or group of houses is designed not only to shelter the members of a family, but also to enable intimate communication with ancestors and divinities and to harmonize with the forces of nature. Such an architecture thrives in a community context where it is simply not acceptable to plunder resources from the earth, and resources are used only in accordance with their availability, in quantity, and at times of year that minimize environmental impact. This cultural dimension and its realization through different architectural practices are illustrated in this work with examples taken from dwellings across numerous ethnic groups in sub-Saharan West Africa. Drawings, plans, axonometric projections, and photographs show the beauty and complexity of this architecture that is a spiritual praxis--as much place of life as work of art.

The African Dwelling by Diane Chehab; Epee Ellong Housing has changed in Sub-Saharan Africa since the Europeans arrived. Africans no longer live in traditional homes. This historical transition from "hut to house," from traditional to Western style, reflects slavery, colonialism and other social influences. This book focuses on Cameroon, known as "Africa in Miniature" because of its geographical and cultural representation of the continent at large. Architectural styles, materials and construction techniques are discussed within a larger context, examining how lifestyle changes and architectural trends influence each other. This work is a rich examination of the challenges and opportunities for a new generation of African architects to integrate the lessons of the past and create a future more responsive to the region's needs.

Rural Shelter in Southern Africa by Franco Frescura

Ndebele - People and Their Art by Ivor Powell; Mark Hurwitz A traveller's guide to the Ndebele people of South Africa and their art.

Early Art and Architecture of Africa by Peter Garlake This new history of over 5000 years of African art reveals its true diversity for the first time. Challenging centuries of misconceptions that have obscured the sophisticated nature of African art, Peter Garlake uses the latest research and archaeological findings to offer exciting newinsights. All the main regions are covered: southern Africa, Nubia, Aksum, the Niger River, West Africa, Great Zimbabwe, and the East African coast.Acknowledging the universal allure of the African art object, this book restores it to its original social and historical context, helping us to understand more about the ways in which this art was produced, used, and received.

Créations Architecturales et Artistiques en Afrique Sub-Saharienne (1948-1995): Bureaux d'Études Henri Chomette by Diala Toure

Contemporary South African Architecture in a Landscape by Thorsten Deckler; Anne Graupner; Henning Rasmuss Through both text and full-color photographs this book explores the ways in which local architects have contributed to change in this country through their work and to the development of a new sense of cultural identity. The focus is on buildings that create beauty from utility and need, that respect their place in the landscape, that connect people to their social and physical environment, and that unlock the potential of cities to amaze and astound. This book will bring South African architecture to the center of the international architectural debate.

Sahel by Alisa LaGamma A comprehensive exploration, spanning 1,300 years, of the art and culture of the Sahel region of Africa This groundbreaking volume examines the extraordinary artistic and cultural traditions of the African region known as the Sahel ("shore" in Arabic), a vast area on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert that includes present-day Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad. This is the first book to present a comprehensive overview of the diverse cultural achievements and traditions of the region, spanning more than 1,300 years from the pre-Islamic period through the 19th century. It features some of the earliest extant art from Africa as well as such iconic works as sculptures by the Dogon and Bamana peoples of Mali. Essays by leading international scholars discuss the art, architecture, archaeology, literature, philosophy, religion, and history of the Sahel, exploring the unique cultural landscape in which these ancient communities flourished. Richly illustrated and brilliantly argued, Sahel brings to life the enduring creativity of the different peoples who lived, traded, and traveled through this crossroads of the world.

African Designs from Traditional Sources by Geoffrey Williams These 378 linocut prints in crisp black-and-white designs reflect traditional work from Zulu, Masai, and dozens of other tribes. This pictorial archive includes masks, abstract motifs, and much more.

Art/Artifact by Arthur C. Danto; Center for African Art (New York, N.Y.) Staff (Contribution by)

African Majesty by Peter Adler; Nicholas Barnard

Face of the Gods by Robert F. Thompson A survey of the sacred art of Africa & its influence on the art & worship practices of African Americans.

Contemporary African Art by Sidney Littlefield Kasfir The twentieth century has been a period of major disruption for traditional institutions in Africa. But even as old forms of art patronage were being suppressed, new avenues of artistic expression opened up. Postcolonial art in Africa has built seamlessly upon already existing structures in which precolonial and colonial genres of African art were made. It is in this sense, and in the habits and attitudes of artists towards making art, rather than in any adherence to a particular style, medium, technique, or thematic range, that the art is recognizably "African." Sidney Littlefield Kasfir, Associate Professor of Art History at Emory University, has taught, curated, and carried out extensive field research in Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya, and has made briefer research trips to nine other African countries. Her critical history examines the major themes and accomplishments in African art from the past fifty years, achieving an impressive balance between the critical reexamination of frequently discussed artists, groups, and workshops and the introduction of less publicized or more recent material.

African Cities and Towns Before the European Conquest by Richard W. Hull Origami master John Montroll introduces nearly 50 figures that range from simple to sophisticated. They're perfect for those who are familiar with the basics but seek more challenging models as well as for experienced folders. Models include a cup, hat, sailboat, crane, frog, and fish for beginners; a pheasant, robin, pig, and octahedron for intermediate folders; and a deer, elephant, bee, and waterwheel for advanced origamists — plus many other imaginative figures. Clear instructions and crisp diagrams accompany each project.

The Lost Cities of Africa by Basil Davidson The aim of this book is to present what is now known and what seems reasonable to believe about some leading aspects and achievements of African life and civilization during the pre-colonial period, and thus to contribute to an understanding of Africa today. North America: Times/Random House

North African villages : Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia by Norman F. Carver, Jr. "Out of a merciless environment and a demanding religion emerged this striking architecture of high mountain kasbas, fortified labyrinths, and remote desert oases. Astonishingly, despite a history centuries old, it remains largely unknown"--Page [4] of cover.

Urban Planning and the African-American Community by June Manning Thomas (Editor); Marsha Ritzdorf (Editor) Clarifying the historical connections between the African-American population in the United States and the urban planning profession, this book suggests means by which cooperation and justice may be increased. Chapters examine: the racial origins of zoning in US cities; how Eurocentric family models have shaped planning processes of cities such as Los Angeles; and diversifying planning education in order to advance the profession. There is also a chapter of excerpts from court cases and government reports that have shaped or reflected the racial aspects of urban planning.

The West African City by Jerome Chenal Rapid growth, unmanageable cities, urban crisis ¿ the cities of West Africa are no longer plannable,at least not by using traditional urban development tools. Without negating the importance of participatory approaches for making the city, it nonetheless seems crucial to return to city plans and models, to what they convey and how they are built. But in order to understand the city in all its depth, we must also hit the streets. The West African City proposes a dual perspective. At the urban scale, it analyzes historical trajectories, spatial development and urban planning documents to highlight the major trends beyond the plans. At the second level, that of public space, the street is discussed as the lifeblood of urban issues. By innovating approaches and testing new methods, The West African City offers an unconventional look at Nouakchott, Dakar and Abidjan, the three study sites of this investigation. The city of today ¿ be it in Africa or elsewhere - must re-examine its many social, economic, cultural, political and spatial dimensions; for this, urban research has begun challenging its own methods.

Urban Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa by Carlos Nunes Silva Cities in Sub-Saharan Africa are unequally confronted with social, economic and environmental challenges, particularly those related with population growth, urban sprawl, and informality. This complex and uneven African urban condition requires an open discussion of past and current urban planning practices and future reforms. Urban Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa gives a broad perspective of the history of urban planning in Sub-Saharan Africa and a critical view of issues, problems, challenges and opportunities confronting urban policy makers. The book examines the rich variety of planning cultures in Africa, offers a unique view on the introduction and development of urban planning in Sub-Saharan Africa, and makes a significant contribution against the tendency to over-generalize Africa's urban problems and Africa's urban planning practices. Urban Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa is written for postgraduate students and advanced undergraduates, researchers, planners and other policy makers in the multidisciplinary field of Urban Planning, in particular for those working in Spatial Planning, Architecture, Geography, and History.

Ng'ambo Atlas by Iga Perzyna (Editor); Antoni Folkers (Editor) Ng?ambo is the lesser known "other side? of Zanzibar Town. During the British Protectorate the area was designated as the Native Quarters; today it is set to become the new city center of Zanzibar?s capital. Local and international perceptions of the cultural and historical importance of Ng?ambo have for a long time remained overshadowed by the social and cultural divisions created during colonial times. One thing is certain: despite its limited international fame and lack of recognition of its importance, Ng?ambo has played and continues to play a vital role in shaping the urban environment of Zanzibar Town. This atlas presents over hundred years of Ng?ambo?s history and urban development through maps, plans, surveys and images, and provides insights into its present-day cultural landscape.

Afrocentric Architecture by David Hughes

Architecture and Power in Africa by Nnamdi Elleh Two of the most ambitious religious edifices of the 20th century are the Our Lady of Peace Basilica in the West African country of the Ivory Coast and the Hassan II Mosque in Morocco. Nnamdi Elleh not only provides a substantial architectural and pictorial analysis of the buildings themselves. Using these two buildings as case studies, he also investigates questions of national memory, urban form, architectural styles, concepts of democracy, social hierarchies as well as the elites who make the decisions to build Africa's post-independence monuments and capital cities. His book is an exciting synthesis of theoretical and empirical analysis that is bound to stimulate debate about the form and content of post-colonial identities in Africa.

Art and Architecture in Postcolonial Africa by Janet Berry Hess The struggle of African nations to achieve independence from colonial rule was a momentous event in world history, and among the most influential features of the postcolonial independence era was the art and architecture that it produced. With decolonization, Africa was thrust into nation building and into the related process of negotiating its cultures, integrating modernism while simultaneously sustaining regional traditions, and thereby producing a uniquely transitional art. This work examines the complexity of popular artistic culture in the era of African nationalism, with a special focus on the influential independence era in Ghana. Chapters One and Two consider the ideologies of the Convention People's Party and the National Liberation Movement in Ghana and their respective effects on artistic production. Chapters Three through Six discuss the relationship between architecture, museum exhibitions, and political displays and growing nationalist ideologies, revealing the extent to which African art continues to be a medium for political, social, and historical commentary. Chapter Seven investigates artistic practices associated with bodily expression and explores the manner in which these practices were influenced by postcolonial authority, while the final chapters focus on intangible forms of art, such as the communal performance, that characterize both African and diasporic art history.

Modern Architecture in Africa by Antoni Folkers Summary: "Modern architecture in Africa" is one of the few Western studies of modern African architecture. The architect Antoni Folkers calls into question the moralistic, simplified Western Modernism that has become stranded in the African savannah. The critique of the one-sidedness of Western architecture is not only theoretical, but also assumes a practical form in the pluriform and multi-coloured architecture of Africa. After studying at the TU Delft, Antoni Folkers went to Africa in 1984 to become acquainted with the critique of the practice of Western Modernism. His "Modern architecture in Africa" shows both the clash and the blending of 'original' African architecture with Modernism. On the basis of his experiences, he sets the potential and limitations of Modernism in a cultural context and links them with the history and development of Africa.