Disciplines
Architecture
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Architecture serves as the physical embodiment of a group's cultural values, history, and social dynamics- or identity. The arrival of European colonialism and modernism brought about a paradigm shift, prioritizing a universal European aesthetic and "international style” leading to the erosion of the unique cultural identities of the world and the environments they existed in. The global south has experienced the brunt of this process, especially the African continent. For example, the Igbo peoples of southeastern Nigeria have lost nearly all examples of their building traditions and have been in a constant struggle to create an architecture that captures their rich culture while addressing their current challenges.
My thesis will bridge this gap by translating traditional Igbo culture into contemporary Nigerian building practices, guided by the work of architects like Francis Kere and Toshiko Mori, as well as the writings of theorists in “Architectural Regionalism”. The important field work of Zbigniew Dmochowski, who in the 20th century recorded over 60 existing Igbo traditional buildings as old as two centuries will be a base for understanding their nearly lost building traditions. This will be further supported by interviews with members of the Igbo village: Umukabia, to understand their current lives, struggles, and existing oral histories.
In the design studio, the interviews will inform what project is needed in the community, the studies of traditional buildings will shape the form of this new project, and the work of contemporary African architects will be a guide for how tradition and modernity have been joined in other parts of the continent.
The Igbo people, as well as the African continent are in a critical moment. One that seeks to heal colonial and environmental scars as well as remember their collective histories so that their identities may be celebrated and never lost again.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CACM - Architecture
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Arief Setiawan
Presence of the Past: The Expression of Igbo Cultural Identity in Contemporary Space
Architecture serves as the physical embodiment of a group's cultural values, history, and social dynamics- or identity. The arrival of European colonialism and modernism brought about a paradigm shift, prioritizing a universal European aesthetic and "international style” leading to the erosion of the unique cultural identities of the world and the environments they existed in. The global south has experienced the brunt of this process, especially the African continent. For example, the Igbo peoples of southeastern Nigeria have lost nearly all examples of their building traditions and have been in a constant struggle to create an architecture that captures their rich culture while addressing their current challenges.
My thesis will bridge this gap by translating traditional Igbo culture into contemporary Nigerian building practices, guided by the work of architects like Francis Kere and Toshiko Mori, as well as the writings of theorists in “Architectural Regionalism”. The important field work of Zbigniew Dmochowski, who in the 20th century recorded over 60 existing Igbo traditional buildings as old as two centuries will be a base for understanding their nearly lost building traditions. This will be further supported by interviews with members of the Igbo village: Umukabia, to understand their current lives, struggles, and existing oral histories.
In the design studio, the interviews will inform what project is needed in the community, the studies of traditional buildings will shape the form of this new project, and the work of contemporary African architects will be a guide for how tradition and modernity have been joined in other parts of the continent.
The Igbo people, as well as the African continent are in a critical moment. One that seeks to heal colonial and environmental scars as well as remember their collective histories so that their identities may be celebrated and never lost again.