best architecture in africa

Beaming down on Antananarivo atop Analamanga Hill, the Queen’s Palace can be admired from anywhere in the capital city. Among the most iconic buildings in Lesotho is the Mokorotlo hut in its capital city, Maseru. Designed by local architects Saad El Kabbaj, Driss Kettani and Mohamed Amine Siana and built from concrete due to its strong thermal mass, the emphasis is again on natural ventilation. South African architecture is well established compared to that of many countries on this list. Founded in 1886, the city is located in the Witwatersrand region, which has vast gold deposits. Photo: Peek Creative Collective/Shutterstock. View all Courses in Architecture in Africa 2021 The infeasible-looking concrete canopy sits on a glazed box, framing views of the surrounding Waaihoek mountains, and is flanked by a reflective pool. Overlooking Nairobi National Park, the African Heritage House cultural center was founded by former Kenyan vice president Joseph Murumbi and one-time US State Department employee Alan Donovan, who designed the structure in the image of Mali’s Great Mosque of Djenné and other African mud architecture. A local landmark and attraction, the Mokorotlo hut also houses a museum with insight into Sotho culture and life in Lesotho. Together backdropped by the harborfront, the two buildings exemplify two eras of Angolan architecture: The bubblegum-pink bank nods to the nation’s Portuguese colonial past while the museum reflects the modern aesthetic of local architecture firm Costalopes. The Somba people of northwest Benin are known for being skilled builders. Though not as large as the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Ivorian capital Yamoussoukro, the largest cathedral in Africa, St. Paul’s Cathedral ranks among the runners up. Mali’s Great Mosque of Djenné may be the most impressive mud structure anywhere on Earth. Today, the view from the Cairo Citadel is not only juxtaposed by the city’s modern architecture but also offers a glimpse of the Giza pyramids, weather permitting. He has an office in Ghana and has visited every capital city on the continent to get to grips with African urban development. This site uses cookies to improve your experience and deliver personalised advertising. Architecture studies prepares students to design homes and buildings for private clients and corporations. The roof captures rainwater, which can be filtered and reused. This project saw a disused mosque in Dandaji transformed into a complex that’s welcoming to all, complete with both a renovated mosque and a new library to promote literacy within the community. In all of these styles is a sensitivity to local traditions combined with on-the-ground ingenuity. Their traditional tent-like dwellings are made by constructing circular frames from thin branches, then covering the structures in mats woven from locally sourced materials. Outside the continent, Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye, in particular, has drawn attention to both the innovation in African architecture and its legacy of climate-smart vernacular styles. The building is surrounded by a wooden screen to help shield it from dust. Exquisite wood carvings are also produced at the Mua Mission, where aspiring carvers can study the craft and sell their goods at the on-site shop. Most of the architectural designs of many buildings in Africa have been influenced by the ancient colonizers and modern civilization coming from the western world. You’ll find the church in the city center a stone’s throw from the Independence Memorial Museum, an architectural landmark in its own right, also pictured. Tall and slender, they’re an important example of Nubian architecture and earned Meroë a UNESCO nod in 2011. They’re adapted to the nation’s hot climate by self-heating and cooling, depending on the season, as well as protecting against rain. The school also features Kéré's trademark elevated overhanging-roof design, wind-catching towers and an undulating ceiling of offset plaster and concrete. As the nation’s sole legislative chamber, it’s fitting that the parliament building is monumental, with its crisp, cage-like roof sloping overhead a solid core that resembles a straw basket. Discover the best and latest articles about Architecture in Africa The British Empire erected Martello towers as defensive fortresses throughout the 19th century. Though the Eastgate Centre requires a small amount of electricity to cool the building through a fan-and-duct system, following a natural model enabled significant energy-saving by allowing Pearce, a sustainability-minded architect, to avoid using refrigerant-based air conditioning and incorporate efficient, eco-friendlier lighting. Just as temples tell the history of Japan and island housing helps define Greece, Africa’s vernacular architecture is a huge part of the continent’s unique diversity. The site of the old assembly building, which was all but destroyed in pro-democracy demonstrations, would become a memorial park. The seven volumes of the Sub-Saharan Africa Architectural Guide form the first comprehensive overview of architecture south of the Sahara that does justice to the region’s wealth of buildings. Casa à Palabres, which translates to “house of words,” was established as a meeting place in Dalaba, Guinea, a traditional territory of the Fula people of West Africa. Africa is big. Where to Study Best Architecture Courses in South Africa: While artists work from real to the abstract, architects must work from the abstract to the real. Architecturally speaking, the town is also known for hosting the ruins of the Palais de Kavirdjeo, built as the seat of the Sultanate of Bambao in the 16th century. Though on the surface it resembles any Italian fascist design, associate professor of architecture Edward Denison, whose work with the Asmara Heritage Project earned the city its World Heritage status, argues that such a structure could not exist in Europe or anywhere else. Since 1962, the towering holy site has hosted regular Sunday service as the national prayer shrine, as well as events ranging from bible study to weddings to holiday mass. From the outside, thick, diamond-like windows showcase the savvy design of Togo-born artist El Loko. Though modest from the outside, the interior is covered in bas-relief designs, with intricate motifs carved into the walls and floor. It was occupied by German settlers in the late 19th century and later claimed by both French and British troops after World War I. Eswatini’s vernacular architecture is defined by tightly woven grass coverings that are fitted on top of domed skeletons constructed out of thin saplings. Photo: Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock. In the village of Tiébélé, which is occupied by the Kassena people of the greater Gurunsi ethnic group of Ghana and Burkina Faso, there exist hand-painted houses dating as far back as the 15th century. Not only does a massive cross appear to hold up the sloping structure via cables, but the interior also features six stained-glass murals and intricate mosaic panels that incorporate both biblical and locally inspired imagery. From Kenya to Morocco, a string of world-class buildings are appearing across the continent, representing the very best of modern architecture African Architecture - … Nonetheless, Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar Temple is the only Hindu temple in the Seychelles, as well as a defining landmark of the island’s capital, Victoria. Mosques are common throughout Comoros as the majority of its residents practice Sunni Islam. Bauhaus architecture arrived in Burundi, a Belgian colony until 1962, around the mid-20th century. Best house in Africa Cape Town studio Kritzinger Architects have won an African Property Award for best architecture for a single residence for their Makana House. Resembling a water tower more than a traditional church, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross sits atop a hill watching over Lusaka, the Zambian capital, as the mother church of the city’s Anglican Diocese. The honeycomb-esque exterior was inspired by the bark of native palm trees and is reminiscent of a print one might see on Ghanian kente cloth. This mission in Mua, Malawi, was founded in the first years of the 20th century by a group of missionaries known as the White Fathers. Freemasonry refers to a brotherhood that was founded by medieval stonemasons. It remained divided between French Cameroun and British Cameroon until 1960 when the former gained its independence. WIRED, By This unique design also helps protect the structure against the harsh local climate by regulating natural light and ventilation. The accessory has become a symbol not only of the predominant Bantu ethnic group but of Lesotho at large, appearing both on the national flag and Lesotho license plates. The vision of architect Xavier Vilalta, it’s both sustainable and celebratory of Ethiopian culture and aesthetics. He published his observations in a seven-volume book called Adjaye Africa Architecture. It was rebuilt a decade later after being damaged during the country’s civil war. Photo: Edward Denison/Asmara Heritage Project, Modernist architecture is a defining feature of Eritrea’s capital, Asmara. The Afar people of the Horn of Africa inhabit parts of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti. Led by architectural designers Khensani de Klerk and Solange Mbanefo, Matri-Archi is a collective based between Switzerland and South Africa … They’re typically two stories tall and have mud walls, straw roofs, and turrets like you might see on a castle. Photo: Dennis Albert Richardson/Shutterstock. Welcome to WIRED UK. One either side, the building’s wings are dedicated to administrative offices. Some claim Hotel du Lac inspired the Sandcrawler fortress in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, which was filmed in Tunisia. South Africa’s University of Cape Town is the highest-ranked university for architecture in Africa and the Middle East at 51-100. It is the largest and a crowning achievement of West Africa’s earthen Sudano-Sahelian architecture, which is characterized by its use of mudbrick, adobe, and wooden beams that may stick out like spikes. Known in full as the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de l’Immaculée Conception, this Roman Catholic cathedral towers over Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. They may also learn how to professionally collaborate with clients and within teams. That may be outdone, however, if his masterplan for a new Burkina Faso national assembly and memorial park ever comes to fruition. Heading back to Egypt for the next in our look at the best universities in Africa, the 2021 world ranking sees the American University in Cairo drop 16 places to now rank joint 411 th in the world. Designer: Urko Sánchez ArchitectsLocation: Djibouti. The dramatic curved ceiling contains finger-joined cypress-timber slats and the roof uses clay tiles. Atop Kasubi hill in the Kampala district of Uganda is a palace turned burial ground for the kings, or kabakas, and other royals from the Buganda kingdom. Find the highest rated Architecture software in Africa pricing, reviews, free demos, trials, and more. The regions were once Greek colonies. These architectural beauties stand as … Since 1976, the site has hosted the Kungoni art and culture center, complete with a museum and library dedicated to preserving Chewa, Ngoni, and Yao heritage. Designer: Xavier VilaltaLocation: Ethiopia. Gazing out at the Mediterranean Sea from its vantage point on Libya’s coastline is Leptis Magna, once a majestic city under the Roman Empire that was largely developed by emperor Septimius Severus. His work in the continent, predominantly in Burkina Faso, is a smart blend of traditional and vernacular construction techniques and materials - mud bricks and corrugated-steel sheets - with contemporary design. Greek Architecture also existed in the city of Cyrene and Apollonia, in present day Libya. Here are 54 examples of African architecture, one for every country, that prove just how widely underrated it has been. Photo: The Cathedral of the Holy Cross – Lusaka/Facebook. Designer: Diébédo Francis KéréLocation: Burkina Faso. Africa has some of the most diverse and breathtaking architectural pieces in the entire world. Students might learn how to use a variety of computer programs to design a functional space. It was awarded a four-star rating by the Green Building Council of South Africa. Deep in the Algerian Sahara is the M’zab Valley, a desert oasis housing a pentapolis of ancient fortified cities. Jeremy White and Chris Haslam, By "The most enduring and inspirational architecture on the continent generally demonstrates an extraordinarily apposite response to the climate," he says. Dalton House is another example of a Spanish architect taking on Swahili architecture with a twist. Found in the Sahel that connects the Sahara Desert to the Sudanian Savanna, the village of Gaoui, the former capital of the Sao civilization, plays host to some of the finest examples of Chad’s vernacular architecture. It was designed to resemble a mokorotlo, a hat woven from native mosea grass that’s ubiquitous in Sotho culture. Standing atop a hill like a sentinel watching over Cairo is a medieval citadel commissioned by Saladin, the first sultan of Islamic-era Egypt. Since its completion in 1974, the tower has fulfilled Seko’s wish, featuring in various works by Congolese artists, notably the paintings of Kinshasa-born Pit Kalala. It originally served as a hall for village elders to deliberate over important decisions. Nearly all of the materials used during construction were sourced locally, and the compressed earth bricks used in favor of traditional adobe increase sustainability by regulating heat and curbing maintenance.