Revolution Will Be Stopped Halfway - Oscar Niemeyer in Algeria

Oscar Niemeyer's Algerian projects, commissioned by President Houari Boumediene in 1968, include two universities, an Olympic sports hall, and large-scale, never-realized projects. Jason Oddy's photographic survey of these buildings, combined with archival documents, explores the revolutionary politics that inspired them.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 19 November 2019
Publisher: Columbia Books on Architecture and the City

Of all of the Brazilian modernist Oscar Niemeyers many built works, his Algerian projects are among the least well known. Beginning in 1968, Algerias President Houari Boumediene commissioned Niemeyer to build two universities and an Olympic sports hall, as well as a series of large-scale, never-realized projects across Algeria, in an attempt to forge a modernist, independent nation. In 2013, Jason Oddy produced an in-depth photographic survey of these buildings as they exist in Algeria today.

The Revolution Will Be Stopped Halfway collects those images alongside archival documents and Oddys further research into Niemeyers Algerian work in order to explore the revolutionary politics that inspired and formed these buildings.

Oddy argues that Niemeyers Algerian work was not simply a response to the political and social conditions of the country, but also a reflection of his own political beliefs and experiences. The buildings, he says, were designed to be both functional and symbolic, to serve as a physical manifestation of the ideals of the Algerian Revolution.

One of the most striking features of Niemeyers Algerian work is his use of concrete. Oddy explains that concrete was chosen as the primary building material because it was cheap and readily available, but also because it had a symbolic significance. Concrete, he says, was a symbol of the strength and resilience of the Algerian people, who had been subjected to decades of oppression and violence.

Another notable feature of Niemeyers Algerian work is his use of geometric shapes and patterns. Oddy explains that these shapes and patterns were designed to evoke the spirit of the Algerian Revolution and to create a sense of unity and cohesion among the people.

Despite the many challenges that Niemeyers faced in Algeria, his work there was widely praised and celebrated. The buildings, he says, have become iconic symbols of the Algerian Revolution and of the struggle for independence and democracy.

The Revolution Will Be Stopped Halfway is a fascinating and important book that provides a new perspective on the work of Oscar Niemeyer and the Algerian Revolution. It is a must-read for anyone interested in architecture, history, and politics.

Weight: 652g
Dimension: 282 x 236 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781941332504