Theorising Architecturein Sub-Saharan Africa: Perspectives, Questions,and Concepts

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Considering the immense diversity of sub-Saharan Africas architecture and built realities, does it make sense to speak of an African architecture How does this differ from architecture in Africa What does the term architecture actually mean in the African context And how could these questions be conceptualised while leaving behind pre-existing theoretical moulds and biases

Searching for new ways to theorise sub-Saharan African architecture, this collection of 49 essays broadens and develops the discourse around the architecture of a very rapidly changing continent. Its authors practising architects and renowned scholars put forward an array of heterogeneous perspectives, question old tropes and emerging narratives, and challenge popular concepts whilst proposing new ones. All with the aim of critically examining and advancing theoretical reflection on African architectures, both on the continent and globally.

Author Bio

Philipp Meuser, born in Hilden / Germany (1969), architect and publisher. Studied architecture in Berlin and Zrich with a focus on history and theory. Construction and consulting projects in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Academic research on mass housing in the Soviet Union as well as publications on socialist architecture. Adil Dalbai, MA, BSc, born 1985. Studied architecture at the Technical University of Berlin, as well as history and cultural studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin, with a focus on the cultural and architectural history of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and (post-)colonial contexts. He works on architecture projects in Western Africa.