Architecture_Independence- vitra design museum designboom 01
architecture of independence – african modernism
vitra design museum gallery, weil am rhein
on view until may 31, 2015

 

held at the vitra design museum gallery in germany, architecture of independence highlights the significant political events of the time when countries in central and sub-saharan africa became independent during 1960s. curated by architect and author manuel herz and photography contributed by iwan baan, this will is the first of this specific, historical architectural period to be showcased.

vitra design museum architecture of independence african modernism designboom
hotel independence, dakar (senegal), by henri chomette and roland depret, 1973-1978 | photo © iwan baan
(main image: la pyramide, abidjan (côte d’ivoire), by rinaldo olivieri, 1973 | photo © iwan baan)

 

 

the exhibition shows 80 buildings from five countries that capture the essence of african modernism; underlining the relationship between the architectural production and their individual nation-building processes. at the time the buildings such as stadiums, universities and banks were constructed, the architects wanted the bold and distinctive design to reflect the country’s progressive spirit however, they also encapsulated the difficulties that the newly independent countries were facing.  

vitra design museum architecture of independence african modernism designboom
independence arch, accra (ghana) by the public works departments, 1961
photo © manuel herz

vitra design museum architecture of independence african modernism designboom
hotel ivoire, abidjan (côte d’ivoire) by heinz fenchel and thomas leiterdorf, 1962-1970,
photo © iwan baan

vitra design museum architecture of independence african modernism designboom
fidak – foire internationale de dakar, dakar (senegal) by jean francois lamoureux & jean-louis marin, 1974
photo © iwan baan

vitra design museum architecture of independence african modernism designboom
university of zambia – unza, lusaka (zambia) by julian elliott 1965-1970
photo © iwan baan

vitra design museum architecture of independence african modernism designboom
mfantsipim school (ausschnitt), cape coast (ghana) by fry, drew and partners 1958
photo © manuel herz

vitra design museum architecture of independence african modernism designboom
kenyatta international conference centre, nairobi (kenya) by karl henrik nostvik 1967-1973,
photo © iwan baan

vitra design museum architecture of independence african modernism designboom
kenyatta international conference centre, nairobi (kenya) by karl henrik nostvik 1967-1973
photo © iwan baan

vitra design museum architecture of independence african modernism designboom
school of engineering at knust (kwame nkrumah university of science and technology) kumasi (ghana) by james cubitt 1956
photo © alexia webster

vitra design museum architecture of independence african modernism designboom
stadium at knust, kumasi (ghana) by knust development office 1964-1967
photo © alexia webster

vitra-making-africa-01
 image © vitra design museum, marc niedermann
vitra-making-africa-02
image © vitra design museum, marc niedermann
vitra-making-africa-03
image © vitra design museum, marc niedermann
vitra-making-africa-04
image © vitra design museum, marc niedermann

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