The mid-twentieth century marked a transformative period for Africa as 29 countries achieved independence between 1956 and 1964, signaling the dawn of the nation-state across the continent. This era resonated with a spirit of liberation and progress, paralleling the global movements of that time, such as the establishment of international organizations like the United Nations (1945) and the Organization of African Unity (1963). Within this context, Modernist architecture emerged as a powerful symbol of national identity, ambition, and the collective aspiration for a brighter future. As newly independent nations sought to define themselves apart from their colonial pasts, the adoption of Modern Movement principles facilitated the construction of key infrastructures, such as convention centers, parliament buildings, and hotels, as well as the development of architectural education, as native-trained architects begun to either replace or cooperate with foreign-born professionals.
This article inaugurates a new series titled Rediscovering Modernism in Africa, aiming to explore the architectural legacy of the Modern Movement in Africa, highlighting its role in nation-building and the evolution of architectural education, while shedding light on the architects and movements that shaped this transformative era.
The mood of liberation on the continent could be compared with the euphoria at the end of the Second World War that led to the creation of the United Nations and the Modernist architecture of its headquarters. As noted on the United Nations’ website, “The building does not have historical references and is meant to symbolize the bright, peaceful future ahead that does not linger in the past.” This break with the past is one aspect of the Modern Movement adopted by the newly independent African countries, a move away from the architectural traditions of the colonial past.
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The term Modernism may have a broad and perhaps interchangeable definition. For the purpose of this topic, it is understood as the architecture of the Modern Movement initiated by architects like Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius in mainland Europe in the early Twentieth Century. Together with the rejection of history, it was characterized by a focus on function, the dismissal of ornament, and the innovative use of new materials and structural capabilities. These made Modernism an easily transferable approach to building design, and its ideas spread gradually across the globe. Its emphasis on technical prowess also made it synonymous with progress and was thus attractive to nascent states wishing to engage in rapid development.
Initially, with almost all of Africa under colonization, Modernism made it to the continent via European architects. Tropical Modernism, for example, was a style developed by Britain in West Africa. In the 1940s and 1950s, worried about rising independence sentiments, the colonial power sought to counteract these through educational and infrastructure projects. British architects Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, pioneers in Tropical Modernism and involved with the establishment of the Tropical School of Architecture in London, designed numerous buildings in Ghana. Tropical Modernism was an adaptation of Modern Movement architecture to suit hot and humid climates. Despite these colonial roots, this style of architecture was adopted by the leader of independent Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah.
As independence swept across Africa in the middle of the century, more governments would adopt Modernism. Close links were maintained with the former colonial powers, architects from which continued to practice after independence, while native-born students were sent abroad for studying and training. Early schools of architecture were established very soon after independence – for example in Kumasi, Ghana, with close links with the AA in London, and in Khartoum, Sudan, where a British professor was appointed as the school’s founder. The work of returning African architects trained abroad, coupled with the new generation of locally trained architects, is only recently being acknowledged. However, curiously, foreign-born architects also came from many third countries with no prior relationship with the continent, particularly from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Łukasz Stanek’s book, “Architecture in Global Socialism“, details some of these relationships and attributes some of them to the Non-Aligned Movement, of which many African countries were members.
Naturally, African countries have complex and diverse histories and relationships to Modernism. They do not necessarily follow this exact narrative that the few examples illustrate. Countries on the Mediterranean coast (except Algeria) gained independence much earlier than those south of the Sahara. The Lusophone countries gained independence later and most of their Modern buildings happened under colonialism. Ethiopia largely remained independent throughout the period of European empires and South Africa followed yet another distinct historical relationship with colonialism. There are also cultural and climatic differences across the continent resulting in different architectures. Tropical Modernism suited to the warm and humid climate would be adapted to suit the hot and dry climate of other places.
Documenting Modernism in Africa is important for several reasons. The documentation itself is an act of preservation. Manuel Herz in “African Modernism: The Architecture of Independence” (2015) laments how many examples of Modernism in Africa are missing from the history books, citing great works such as the Foire Internationale de Dakar and the Kenyatta International Convention Center as examples of these omitted yet relevant works. In addition to their historical importance in marking nation-building, he advocates for their inclusion in larger histories of architecture because of their qualities and their centrality in the history of Modernism.
Currently, there is an emerging interest in the Modern movement on the continent of Africa slowly growing in the field of architecture. Eight years after the release of Manuel Hertz’s book, an exhibition on Tropical Modernism was exhibited at the Venice Biennale with a focus on African architecture. At the time of writing, an exhibition on Tropical Modernism at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London is coming to a close. However, African Modernist buildings are not immune to disrepair, demolition, or even destruction in war as was seen in the exhibition “Mogadishu Lost Moderns” in 2014. Even well-maintained buildings are at risk of insensitive repairs and additions. The hope is that documenting and celebrating these items of built heritage may encourage their conservation for posterity.
This article is part of an ArchDaily series called “Rediscovering Modernism in Africa.” Many buildings from the Modern Movement in Africa are of high architectural quality. Despite being several decades old and historically important, they have only recently gained attention in international discussions. This series explores this rich history. As always, at ArchDaily, we greatly appreciate our readers’ contributions. If you have a project you think should be featured, please submit your suggestions.