Workshop and Conference: July 11th - July 29th 2005 at UCLAS, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

p.o. box 14174 3508 SG Utrecht the Netherlands  phone +31 (0)30 223 23 20 fax +31 (0)30 251 82 78   info@archiafrika.org  http://www.archiafrika.org

Modern Architecture appeared as a new and double faced phenomenon in architecture and urbanism in East Africa during the 1950’s and 1960’s. At the end of the colonial period (1950’s) this architecture was often the preferred expression of the intended colonial welfare state, whereas after Independence (1960’s) the new state and its institutions relied upon it to convey the hope, strength and optimism of the new African nation.

Today there is little systematic knowledge about this architecture in East Africa. Notwithstanding a growing interest in the entanglement of modernism, colonialism and the post-colonial condition, we still lack documentary sources on a large part of this history as well as information about the reception and appropriation of this heritage up to date.

The project will consist of a study on Modern Architecture in Tanzania around Independence (1950-1970) in its local and international context. Architectural, and also social, cultural and political aspects will be studied. A number of projects will be selected from the modern heritage in Tanzania, consisting of public buildings (such as schools, churches and offi ces), housing projects and urban designs.

The work of the architect Anthony Almeida will form an important part of the selected projects. Almeida was one of the first to introduce Modern Architecture in his country; he produced a large quantity of high quality buildings throughout the founding period of the Tanzanian nation. He is still alive and his archives are fully available for investigation. Other architects who’s work and archives will be studied are Sukhi Shah, Beda Amuli, French & Hastings, Covell Matthews and others.

The primal objective is to acquire knowledge on modern Tanzanian architecture of the period around Independence (1950-1970) and to use this knowledge to put Tanzanian architecture in the spotlight and to place African architecture in the international Modern Movement.

The secondary objective is to create an international educational and scientific exchange program between European and African universities in the field of Architecture. European universities will widen their studies on modern architecture with new knowledge from the African continent. African universities will be given more understanding of modern architecture in an international perspective as well as a lack of knowledge on its conservation and the methods of investigation will be filled up.

The project encompasses the inventory and documentation of all relevant modern buildings and projects in Tanzania realized in the period around Independence (1950-1970).

By analyzing this work we will acquire knowledge on:

1. the rise of Modern Architecture in Tanzania in the 1950’s and 1960’s and its role in the development of local architecture;

2. the position of Modern Architecture in Tanzania in relation to the architecture of the international Modern Movement;

3. Modern Heritage in Tanzania in its cultural, social and political context.

The analysis will lead to conclusions on the value of the studied work from a historical and contemporary perspective.

1. University College of Lands and Architectural Studies (UCLAS: Mr. Anthony Mosha), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

2. Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e: Prof. Bruno de Meulder, Mr. Jos Bosman), Netherlands;

3. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (University of Leuven / KUL: Prof. Hilde Heynen), Belgium;

Post Graduate Centre Human Settlements (PGCHS: Prof. Han Verschure), Leuven, Belgium;

Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation (RLICC: Prof. Luc Verpoest), Leuven, Belgium;

4. Delft University of Technology (TU Delft: Mrs. Janneke Bierman), Netherlands;

5. ARCHIAFRIKA foundation, Utrecht, Netherlands.

Modern Architecture in Tanzania around Independence: Workshop and Conference, July 11th-29th 2005

Further parties may be invited to contribute and/or participate in the project during the process. The project is initiated and will be coordinated throughout the full project period by ArchiAfrika foundation.

During a workshop in Dar es Salaam, specifi c examples of Modern Architecture in Tanzania around Independence will be documented and analyzed. Students from UCLAS and different European universities will work together and will be coached by professors, tutors and specialists from different countries.

Sixteen projects will be selected out of a wide range of architectural and urban designs from the period around Independence. Additional documentation of missing drawings or transformed buildings will be done by a group of 8 students from UCLAS, between June 13th and July 8th.

During the workshop starting on July 11th, the students will be divided in approximately 8 groups of 4 students from different universities. Each group will make an analysis of 2 buildings or projects. They will work in a studio at the UCLAS campus. During the workshop, specialists on the subject will be invited to give lectures and to coach the students in their studies.

At evenings other forms of African modernism will be linked to the architectural Modern Movement: fi lm, music, politics and art.

In this way the spirit of the times will be picked up in an informal way.

A conclusive conference starts with the presentation of the results of the workshop and a discussion about these results. This

discussion leads to the assessment of research queries for further studies by the involved institutes.

The conference will continue with a broader focus on the architectural heritage of the Modern Movement around Independence

(1950-1970) in East Africa.

A selection of the documented projects, the analysis and the conclusions, as well as the results of the conference will be published in a report and via internet ( http://www.archiafrika.org ), as well as presented in articles in various scientifi c magazines. On the longer term, the results of the whole project (including later research) will be made accessible by organising an exhibition on a selection of the research material in the National Museum in Dar es Salaam (January 2007) and afterwards in other African and European institutes. The complete research study will be published in the form of a catalogue to the exhibition.

Participating students: 16 students UCLAS; 6 students TU Eindhoven: Architecture and Urbanism; 4 students TU Delft: Restauration and Renovation; 2 students KU Leuven: Architecture and Urbanism; 2 students RLICC Leuven; 2 students PGCHS Leuven.

Participating tutors (at date): Anthony Almeida, Anthony Mosha, Hannah le Roux, Hilde Heynen, Bruno de Meulder, Luc Verpoest, Jos Bosman, Janneke Bierman, Antoni Folkers, Berend van der Lans and Joep Mol.

lecturers: Anthony Almeida;

2 foreign lecturers;

1 UCLAS lecturer;

1 ArchiAfrika member.

11/07/05: start meeting with all students and tutors: introduction by ArchiAfrika and UCLAS;

excursion to buildings and sites.

12/07/05: excursion to buildings and sites;

lecture on Conservation of Modern Heritage.

13/07/05: workshop in 8 groups: inventory and documentation;

lecture by Anthony Almeida on his own work around Independence.

14/07/05: workshop in 8 groups: inventory and documentation;

lecture on the history of Modern Architecture.

15/07/05: workshop in 8 groups: inventory and documentation;

fi lm night with African fi lms from the period around Independence.

Modern Architecture in Tanzania around Independence: Workshop and Conference, July 11th-29th 2005

lecturers: 2 Tanzanian architects;

1 Tanzanian historian or journalist;

1 foreign lecturer;

1 UCLAS lecturer;

1 ArchiAfrika member.

18/07/05: evaluation of fi rst week results by all students and tutors;

workshop in 8 groups: analysis;

lecture on the analysis of existing buildings.

19/07/05: workshop in 8 groups: analysis;

lecture on politics and history.

20/07/05: workshop in 8 groups: analysis;

lecture by two local architects on their own work around Independence.

21/07/05: workshop in 8 groups: analysis;

lecture on the Modern Movement in a (post) colonial condition.

22/07/05: workshop in 8 groups: analysis;

music night with East African music from around Independence.

lecturers: 5 foreign lecturers;

1 Tanzanian architectural critic;

1 UCLAS lecturer;

2 ArchiAfrika members.

25/07/05: evaluation of second week results by all students and tutors;

workshop in 8 groups: preparation of presentation.

26/07/05: workshop in 8 groups: preparation of presentation.

27/07/05: Final presentation of the results of the workshop; discussion on the results;

opening lecture: Modern Architecture in East Africa in the 1950’s and 60’s.

28/07/05: 

Conference: Keynote lecture by Hannah le Roux (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa): ‘Foreign

parts: Modern Architecture in Africa’;

Plenary Papers.

29/07/05: 

Conference: Keynote lecture by Bruno de Meulder (Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands) on East African Modern Heritage in its cultural, social and political context;

Plenary Papers;

Panel Discussion.

More information on our website: http://www.archiafrika.org or contact us via E-mail: info@archiafrika.org or phone: +31 30 2232320.

  DOWNLOAD PDF OF WORKSHOP PROGRAMME & CALL FOR PAPERS (Files are 560K each)