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- Title
The search for essence: 'Africanness' in 20<sup>th</sup> century South African architecture.
- Authors
Marschall, Sabine
- Abstract
Throughout South Africa's recent architectural history, some architects have attempted to imbue their buildings with a specifically African character or evoke a sense of 'Africanness'. This article investigates the signs considered appropriate to convey Africanness, the concept of Africa conveyed and the intentions behind the 'Africanising' of architectural design. The first example of such 'Africanising' was Moerdijk's Pretoria University library building, with sculptural decoration reminiscent of Egypt and Great Zimbabwe. Such references to what were perceived to be the only precedents of 'high civilizations' on the African continent clearly speak of Afrikaner nationalism underlying the regionalist tradition. Eaton was a key representative of this tradition, though his perspective with respect to Africa was much broader and his passion for Africa all-encompassing. In the 1950s and 60s, several architects developed a strong interest in incorporating contemporary African or Afrophile art into their architecture. This constituted an important shift from Eaton's pan-African, atemporal focus on tradition towards the recognition of a changing, contemporary urban South African culture. Examples of Africanised architecture increased during the apartheid years for political reasons as white architects designed buildings that underscored ethnic and racial difference. A different approach was followed during the same period by Portuguese-born architect, "Pancho" Guedes whose intention was primarily to invent form, not to create a particular style or 'Africanise' architecture. Through the names of buildings, however, Guedes evoked the African bush in the viewer's mind. The most overt examples of Africanised architecture are found within the tourism sector. Perhaps the most extravagant and creative is the exclusive game lodge Makalali, where the emphasis is on the creation of an enchanting fantasy of Africa. In contrast is the 'Africa kitsch' of the Hilton International Hotel, Durban, which reproduces the stereotypical representations of local cultures offered by the products of the tourism industry. One can criticise 'Africanised' architecture for its artificiality, inauthenticity, and (arguable) irrelevance. However, more sincere attempts at creating a relevant South African architecture are to a certain degree indebted to the search for Africanness in architectural design.
- Subjects
SOUTH Africa; ARCHITECTURAL designs; HISTORY of architectural design; SCHOOL libraries; PHILOSOPHY of civilization; URBANIZATION; NATIONALISM; SOCIAL change; RACIAL differences; ETHNOLOGY
- Publication
Southern African Humanities, 2001, Vol 13, p139
- ISSN
1681-5564
- Publication type
Article