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Philipp Meuser / Adil Dalbai (Ed.) |
New from DOM publishers:
Philipp Meuser / Adil Dalbai (Ed.)
Architectural Guide Sub-Saharan Africa
Berlin-based DOM publishers is making an important contribution to African studies with its new title Architectural Guide Sub-Saharan Africa. Working together with more than 350 international authors, the editors Philipp Meuser and Adil Dalbai - both architects - have assembled a collection of the most significant and distinctive buildings from the continent's 49 Sub-Saharan countries. The objective of the compendium is, with the help of experts on the individual countries, to present the architecture between Dakar and Djibouti, Khartoum and Cape Town through a documentation of its buildings. Its richness and contradiction - in respect of its vernacular, modern and contemporary architecture - of the, to most Europeans unfamiliar continent caught between its image as a poverty stricken region and exclusive tourist destination is mapped out in strikingly illustrated short portraits of 850 buildings. A wide-ranging introductory volume in which 49 experts provide short and precise contributions follows the question, if a Sub-Saharan architecture actually exists and comes to the conclusion: yes, the theoretical discourse on building and design in Africa is in full swing.
Almost one billion people live in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region that takes in the entire continent south of the Sahara desert. In order to do justice to the great diversity in culture, geography and climate of this vast area it was decided to subdivide the architectural guide into six, geographically organised parts. A range of buildings from traditional indigenous styles to extraordinary and unique projects are presented from each of the countries within these regions. The richness of the African built heritage across all architectural periods is documented in such buildings as the impressive adobe mosques from Mali, some striking examples from colonial-modernist Eritrea, mostly unknown - but spectacular - representative state buildings from independent Africa all the way to innovative and contemporary projects. Architecture plays an important role, especially in post-colonial Africa's dialogue between tradition and modernity, which is so vital to the forging of identity.
The title is published in the Architectural Guide series. In more than 150 guides, DOM publishers has so far tried to make a city or country accessible to its readers through its architecture and built environment. Besides presenting the most important buildings, it wants to emphasise the political and economic conditions under which the respective designs and constructions were made. The Architectural Guide Sub-Saharan Africa continues the series by critically examining the colonial legacy, the opulent buildings of the kleptocratic elites and contemporary architectural imports from East - which for the past 20 years means especially China - and West.
7 volumes
» 49 countries
» more than 3.400 pages
» 850 buildings and projects
» 200 thematic articles
» 350 international authors
Vol. 1: Introduction to the History and Theory of African Architecture
Vol. 2: Western Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Sahel
Vol. 3: Western Africa along the Atlantic Ocean Coast
Vol. 4: Eastern Africa from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa
Vol. 5: Eastern Africa from the Great Lakes to the Indian Ocean
Vol. 6: Central Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes
Vol. 7: Southern Africa between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans
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