De-Tropicalizing Africa: Architecture, Planning and Climate in the 1950s and 1960s

Abstract

In the mid–1950s, British architects Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew were among the leading figures behind the institutionalization of the Tropical Architecture field, contributing to the proliferation of publications, international conferences and establishment of academic centers. During the same time, the global shortage of housing and United Nations’ development agendas for the “third world” brought a shift in planning priorities. Focusing in that particular moment, the paper traces the efforts for the de–tropicalization of Africa and planning practice alike, through the research activities of the Athens–based firm Doxiadis Associates and the writings and visions of Greek architect Constantinos Doxiadis.

Understanding the multiple architectural modernities in colonial and postindependence Nigeria

“…To date, it remains one of the prominent exemplary complexes of Tropical Architecture (Figures 6-8). Indeed, Phokaides (2013) contended that Tropical Architecture was elaborated, internationalized, and canonized through the work of Fry andDrew between 1946 and1959. Tropical Architecture, or tropical modern, is essentially an adaptation of the International Style to the tropical climate. Aradeon (1998, p. 19) described Tropical Architecture as one that articulated the principles of "design with climate."…”

“…With it, there was a turn from safeguarding African society to developing it to lay the ground for self‐government (Harris & Parnell, 2016). However, many scholars on colonialism and postcolonialism point to the rising tide of nationalism and the quest for independence as its reason, meaning that the decolonization program was enforced (Falola & Heaton, 2008; Phokaides, 2013). Others cite it only as an attempt to legitimize colonial rule or foster continued dependency of the colonies on the colonialists (Demissie, 2016).…”

“…The British architect‐couple Edwin Maxwell Fry (1899–1987) and Jane Drew (1911–1996) were leading proponents of Tropical Architecture in British West Africa who published books on the subject and taught at the AA school where a Department of Tropical Architecture was established in 1954 (Baweja, 2016; Godwin, 2003; Jackson & Holland, 2014; Phokaides, 2013). Considered experts in tropical design, Fry and Drew designed the most ambitious and best‐publicized of all West African educational complexes in this period, the University College, Ibadan, now the University of Ibadan (Crinson, 2018; Godwin, 2003; Jackson & Holland, 2014; Jackson & Uduku, 2016).…”

“…To date, it remains one of the prominent exemplary complexes of Tropical Architecture (Figures 6–8). Indeed, Phokaides (2013) contended that Tropical Architecture was elaborated, internationalized, and canonized through the work of Fry and Drew between 1946 and 1959.…”

“…The roots of the tropical modern are traced to the discourse of tropicality, “a particular European construction of other geo‐cultural regions, with an emphasis on climate, environment, and nature” (Phokaides, 2013, p. 77). It was related to other disciplines such as medicine, where it was thought to conform to the known etiology or science of disease; sanitary practices, and military theories (Chang, 2016; King, 1974).…”