As a follow-up to the Modern Architecture in Tanzania around Independence project, ArchiAfrika has developed a documentary on Modern Architecture in Tanzania. The Dutch architect and film maker Jord den Hollander made the documentary. The medium of film offers the possibility to inform a broader public in Africa and Europe about a fascinating period in their common architectural history.
July 2005, ArchiAfrika organised a three-week workshop in collaboration with European and Tanzanian Architectural Institutes, rounded off by an international conference on the theme 'Modern Architecture in East Africa'.
The background of this theme was the question of what had been preserved from the marvellous examples of modern architecture realised in Tanzania in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
However, during the conference, European academic curiosity about “architectural modernism in a non-western context” was faced with a plain African pragmatism. East African participants to the conference wondered why one should put such a narrow focus on determining a “Tanzanian modernist heritage”, while completely different issues are at stake in contemporary practice. In fact, what is there to learn from Tanzanian architectural history?
During the conference, the discussions moved from the significance and universal value of cultural heritage to the issue of the role architecture might play in African post-colonial identity.
In the end, perhaps the most important result of the workshop and conference has been the deployment of culture as a catalyst in the dialogue between north and south.
As a follow-up to the Modern Architecture in Tanzania around Independence project, ArchiAfrika is now developing a documentary on Modern Architecture in Tanzania. The Dutch architect and film maker Jord den Hollander will make the documentary. The medium of film offers the possibility to inform a broader public in Africa and Europe about a fascinating period in their common architectural history.
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This project is supported by:
Jord den Hollander film
Joep Mol architect
De Twee Snoeken
Royal Netherlands Embassy Dar es Salaam
The Netherlands Architecture Fund
Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture
For additional information go to www.manywordsformodern.com
