African Modernism: The Architecture of Independence: Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Zambia - Softcover

Manuel Herz

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3906027740 ISBN 13: 9783906027746

Publisher: Park Books, 2015

Synopsis

In the 1950s and 1960s, most African countries gained independence from their respective colonial power. Architecture became one of the principal means by which the newly formed countries expressed their national identity. Parliament buildings, central banks, stadiums, convention centres, universities and independence memorials were built, often to heroic and daring designs. At the same time, these buildings exemplify also the difficulties, contradictions and dilemmas these countries experienced in their nation-building process.

This groundbreaking new book investigates for the first time the relationship between architecture and nation building in Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire, and Zambia. It features well over one hundred buildings with brief descriptive texts, images, site plans and selected floor plans and sections. The majority of images is contributed by celebrated Dutch architectural photographer Iwan Baan, documenting the buildings in their present state. Each country is portrayed in an introductory text and a timeline of historic events. Further essays on post-colonial Africa and specific aspects and topics, also illustrated with images and documents, round out this outstanding book.

About this title

Review:

'Very far from being a dusty tome, this large and generous book combines its photographic surveys and detailed case studies with useful historical summaries and charts, and essays by experts on specific themes' --World of Interiors

About the Author:

Manuel Herz is an architect and runs his own studio with offices in Basel and Cologne. He has taught at Bartlett School of Architecture, London, Berlage Institute, Rotterdam, Harvard Graduate School of Design, ETH Studio Basel - Contemporary City Institute, and is currently teaching as a visiting professor for architectural design at ETH Zurich. Includes essays by Zvi Efrat, Till Förster, Manuel Herz, Ingird Schroder. Photographs by Iwan Baan, Alexia Webster.

About this edition

• Publisher: Park Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 3906027740
• ISBN 13: 9783906027746
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 640