Architecture of Independence: African Modernism

When many countries in Central and Sub-Saharan Africa gained their independence in the 1960s, experimental and futuristic architecture became one of the principal means by which the newly formed countries expressed their national identities. Parliament buildings, central banks, stadiums, conference centers, universities and independence memorials were built, often to heroic and daring designs. At the same time, architects from former colonial powers were frequently commissioned to design these buildings. The resulting structures directly speak to the difficulties, contradictions, and dilemmas these countries experienced in their nation-building processes. Architecture of Independence: African Modernism explores this remarkable and complex period of architectural production that emerged following the decolonization of the region in the 1950’s and ‘60s. Charting more than 80 buildings in five countries and featuring commissioned photographs by Iwan Baan and Alexia Webster, Architecture of Independence investigates the relationship between architecture and individual nation building processes in Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia, Ghana, and Senegal.

This exhibition is based on the book project African Modernism: Architecture of Independence by Manuel Herz in cooperation with the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany.

More info at: http://www.grahamfoundation.org/public_exhibitions/5407-architecture-of-independence-african-modernism