Architecture and Politics in Africa: Making, living and imagining identities through buildings

This innovative book explores the politics of identity in sub-Saharan Africa through an examination of its most significant buildings. It reveals how they are commissioned and built, enable elites to project power, and form a basis for popular conceptions of the state. It provides a new perspective on African politics, identity, and urban development and is available as an Open Access ebook.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 294 pages
Publication date: 06 September 2022
Publisher: James Currey

The Honorable Mention - 2023 ASR Prize for Best Africa-focused Anthology or Edited Collection

This innovative study delves into the intricate interplay between state politics, identity, and buildings, shedding new light on the profound connections between the material and ideational realms of contemporary African life. Buildings, as dynamic agents, shape politics in profound ways, defining communities, enabling economic activity, reflecting political ideas, and impacting state-society relations. They are intricately woven with the everyday lives of elites and citizens, as well as the global flows of money, goods, and contracts.

However, until now, there has been a significant gap in research that explicitly connects debates about Africa's domestic and international politics with the study of architecture. This groundbreaking book fills this void, offering a fresh and compelling perspective on the politics of identity in sub-Saharan Africa through an examination of some of the most significant buildings in the region.

Drawing from case studies from nine countries across sub-Saharan Africa, this volume uncovers the intricate processes of commissioning and building these structures, as well as their role in enabling elites to project power and shape public perceptions of the state. By exploring a diverse range of buildings, including parliaments, airports, prisons, ministries, regional institutions, libraries, universities, shopping malls, public housing, cathedrals, and palaces, the contributors provide a novel and thought-provoking lens through which to understand African politics, identity, and urban development.

Through their detailed analysis and insightful observations, the contributors offer a innovative perspective on African politics, identity, and urban development. They challenge established concepts and arguments about the relationship between material objects and political ideas, offering a more nuanced and complex understanding of the complex dynamics at play in the African context.

This book is not only a valuable resource for scholars and students of African politics, development studies, and city life, but it also has broader implications for understanding the role of architecture in shaping societies and cultures worldwide. It is available as an Open Access ebook under the Creative Commons license CC-BY-NC-ND, ensuring that its insights and knowledge can be accessible to a wide audience.

In conclusion, this Honorable Mention - 2023 ASR Prize for Best Africa-focused Anthology or Edited Collection is a groundbreaking work that contributes significantly to our understanding of the complex relationship between state politics, identity, and buildings in contemporary Africa. By exploring the material and symbolic dimensions of these structures, the book offers a fresh and compelling perspective on African politics, identity, and urban development. It is a must-read for scholars, students, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamic and multifaceted nature of contemporary African societies.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781847013323