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The Built Environment: West African Architecture : Mande, Nabdam, Ganvie, Bamileke; Igbo; and Afro-Brazilian To explore how the built environment shapes, expresses or reflects the ecology, culture, and history of the various West African peoples
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The Built Environment: West African Architecture: Mande, Nabdam, Ganvie, Bamileke; Igbo; and Afro-Brazilian To explore how the built environment shapes, expresses or reflects the ecology, culture, and history of the various West African peoples -To demonstrate the variety and types of architecture that exists in the sub-region -To identify the diversity of materials used in the creation of African architecture in general
Mande Architecture Characteristics: Mud architecture with buttresses and parapets called toron Found throughout the Mande world—Mali, Ivory coast and Burkina Faso Structures include tombs of religious leaders, and Mosques Structures have minarets that towers above their roofs
Djenne Mosque, Djenne, Mali, adobe bricks, Completed in 1907 after the original 14th century model
Sankore Mosque at Timbuktu, Mali, Originally built in 1300 AD Periodically revamped Since the 14th century
Walata, Nabdam and Hausa Found in Mauritania; Ghana and Northern Nigeria Architecture made from stone and covered with mud Houses have two stories, flat roofs and interior courtyards Exterior walls painted with red ocher, doors and windows decorated with curvilinear patterns Interior of rooms painted with white and red motifs Motifs inspired by Arabic scripts and referred to as Arabesque Mostly painted by Women
Interior of the home of the Mayor of Walata with Arabesque decorations, Mauritania
Façade of a Hausa compound decorated in low relief and paints, Zaria, Nigeria
Relief decorations on mud walls, Hausa Architecture, Zaria, Nigeria
Granary with prefabricated roof Being raised into position
Bamileke—Cameroon Made by the Bamileke peoples in the Cameroon Grassland Houses are constructed from palm reeds, bamboo, leaves and wood Wood used in creating wooden structures that adorn the exterior of the building Mat woven from vegetable fibers used to create movable partitions inside the house Thatched roofs, no windows, low doors and raised thresholds
Interior courtyard of the palace showing carved pillars Foumba, Bamum, Cameroon
Ganvie, Republic of Benin “The African Venice”
Stilt House, Ganvie Village, D.R. Benin
Afro-Portuguese Impulses: Baroque inspired architecture created by returnees Who settled in Lagos Nigeria, Freetown, Sierra Leone Characterized by elaborate façade with intricate decorative patterns Later evolved into animated/figurative images To communicate status
Central Mosque, Afro-Portuguese Baroque Architecture, Joao Baptist Da Costa, 1908-1913, Lagos, Nigeria
Adjavon House, Afro-Portuguese Baroque Architecture, Wydah, D.R. Benin
Americo-Liberian Architecture Created by returnees; missionaries and administrators Characteristics: Two-story structures Constructed of wood, tin/zinc Mostly on stilts with veranda surrounding the first two floors
Macon Hall House, Fortsville, Liberia, Late 19th century. Wood and Tin
Igbo Mbari Houses Architecture created in response to urgent environmental and social issues/concerns A communal endeavor erected as shrines in veneration of Ala, the Earth Goddess Created with mud with representational images to depict scenes of everyday lives that might parody, critique, mirror, and or chronicle social events Sculptures are panted with uli decorative patterns
Igbo Mbari House, Ala flanked by her children, Igboland, Nigeria Painted mud, 20th century
Igbo Mbari House to Ala, the Earth Goddess, Adobe and wood, 20th century
Door, Igbo, Wood, Early 20th century
Door, Olowe, Wood, Yoruba 1910-1914
Verandah Posts, Olowe, Wood, Yoruba, 1910-1914
