Inside mid-century Tropical Modernist architecture | V&A

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Welcome to “the Bauhaus in the Tropics”. Developed by British architects in the 1940s, Tropical Modernism is a unique style of mid-century architecture which brought the clean lines of European Modernism to the hot, humid conditions of West Africa. From its colonialist beginnings, we trace how the style was adopted by newly-independent Ghana in the 1960s to become a symbol of freedom, modernity and progressiveness. Weaving archive footage, contemporary location shots of key buildings, and interviews with architects of the time, this film reflects on the legacy of Tropical Modernism, and its lessons for a climate-conscious future.
00:00 Colonial origins
00:45 Who started Tropical Modernism?
01:09 How were schools designed?
02:48 Challenges of designing architecture for African climate
03:24 Decolonisation and African independence
04:55 Ghana Independence Day, 1957
06:52 Why should local communities be involved in design?
07:23 Inside Kwame Nkrumah University, Kumasi
09:35 Why did Tropical Modernism end?
10:45 What is the future for African architecture? Climate change?
Watch the full 30-minute film displayed across three screens inside the exhibition, Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence at V&A South Kensington from 2 March - 22 September 2024.
More about the exhibition: www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/tro...
See our Architecture collection: www.vam.ac.uk/collections/arc...

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18 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 49

@ncubesays 3 месяца назад

This is fascinating. I live in Bulawayo and to my non-architect eye, some of these styles are very similar to the mid-century buildings in my city.

@thomasturman573 3 месяца назад

I was there in 1966-68 working with John O. Our international faculty helped develop the school of architecture so that there could be Ghanian architect.

@nottera 3 месяца назад

To study tropical modernism and bring it back to Africa is handy to look to Brazil, a tropical partially developed tropical country with strong african culture in which the most popular style is still modernism (never faded away) and has lots of very well kept tropical and eco-modernist buildings.

@kevinj2261 3 месяца назад

Sounds great! really looking forward to see someone make an video on that

@nottera 3 месяца назад

@@kevinj2261 theres plenty about Brasilia, a modernist city in a Savannah, other regions have different takes on modernism, Rio de Janeiro has many great examples. Brazil has exported some elements for climate control like the breeze blocks (cobogó) in 2:43 , inspired by the morrocan muxarabis, traditional here. Unfortunatelly I think there's not much in English

@daveorjaneford8722 3 месяца назад

Appreciate the old videos. Very interesting development of the topic. Thanks.

@sharonzotoff3975 3 месяца назад

Really interesting video. It's a brief moment in architectural history that seems bookended by political and financial inequality. It's heartbreaking to see some of those beautifully designed buildings abandoned and decaying.

@Greystorm1619 2 месяца назад

The way this video captures not only the visuals but the soundscape of these places in the midst of nature is so beautiful. This is more African history than I ever learned in school, and I never knew the historical connection to this specific architecture. Love that you guys covered this ❤

@Erikborda 3 месяца назад

Amazing architecture and amazing video. I've always been fascinated by the role modernism has played in the periphery of the World. I think it is much easier for those in the global north to reduce modernism to its aesthetics. But as a Brazilian myself and being now presented to the Ghanain experience, it becomes clearer how for all us it represented a key element of an utopian project of social and cultural reformation. These buildings - and I see Universities and schools as prime examples of such sensibility - were manifestos of all the possible paths available for us to get into modernity on our own terms. A Black and Brown tropical modernity in the vanguard of different futures. Now I guess people mostly see this project as an outdated past, and many of these theaters, cultural associations, community centres, libraries, civic buildings, museums as nothing more than testimonies of our intellectual naivety. Please make more videos like this, there's so little about it on RU-vid!

@cliffwoodbury5319 3 месяца назад

I can't wait to see what architecture and engineering leaders and what structures comes out of/are built in Africa as it rises out of poverty and into a developed continent.

@ncubesays 3 месяца назад

Similar sentiment echoed. A movement of Afrocentric architecture started in Zimbabwe in the 90s with the Eastgate Centre in Harare being the most prominent. Unfortunately politics and economics slowed that progress down. Lately, I've been following Francis Kere's work. Pretty impressive.

@ax1338 3 месяца назад

@@ncubesaysi love that guy's work. I hope he is inspiring the young on the continent

@MissKilman 3 месяца назад

thank you for this, it's very fascinating

@luluandmeow 3 месяца назад

Good to see women architects and speakers, thank you!

@ericgrigorof1509 3 месяца назад

Great to see such nicely framed shots of these historic buildings.

@bak4320 3 месяца назад

This is fascinating, thank you! The works are beautiful

@lilcrazymiami8306 3 месяца назад

Respect for all 🙏🏾

@r-cdmx 3 месяца назад

Interesting. Thank you. 🙌🏽✨

@skeletorsnan8161 3 месяца назад

very interesting and well done featurette.

@luluandmeow 3 месяца назад

This was amazing and something I knew nothing about so thank you so much for expanding my knowledge. I would love to know more about trade fair/world expo buildings, I saw the ones in Montreal and videos of the ones in London and Paris, most of those buildings were sadly dismantled or left to decay like the trade fair ones in Ghana. i am also fascinated by Russian and Eastern European industrial and memorial architecture, could you feature these in future videos please?

@kennethwu115 Месяц назад

Very interesting…a lot of parallels with building design in Asia ie Malaysia

@admirald2680 3 месяца назад

Superb

@pjacobsen1000 3 месяца назад

Pretty interesting!

@psionicjake 3 месяца назад

Very cool

@gemstonesparkle7915 3 месяца назад

I can see the similarities with Brazilian modernism, specifically on the use of brise-soleil and cobogó.

@seattlebeard 3 месяца назад

It seems the power of Bauhaus' ability to make the whole world more ugly is limitless.

@edwardpritchardpemberton4998 Месяц назад

The Architect that goes by the name "Bawa" is what you guys should check out.

@happydays1999 3 месяца назад

A very specific reading with no mention of other reading of a very complex subject. No wonder there is an aversion of the modern styles. No wonder there is a people are desperately clinging to the archaic.

@PremiumChoiceAAA 3 месяца назад

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

@clanhouseonline 3 месяца назад

how does the movement in africa link with geoffrey bawa, the father of tropical modernism? or did africa develop this independently of what was happening in asia?

@andrewashdown3541 3 месяца назад

Interesting to compare with East Africa where I was 1963-71 my father an architect in pvt practice then with the govt

@redhorizonsdocs 3 месяца назад

Modernist architecture actually looks kind of cool in the tropics (unlike in the UK where it always just looks grim and dystopian)

@lesamisdelacuisineprovenca9534 3 месяца назад

Brutal architecture.... I did not know this architecture was trendy in Africa too....

@cburgess10 3 месяца назад

What is the song?

@nathanbaffour3403 3 месяца назад

If it’s the one at the start I presume you’re asking about then it’s: Ghana Freedom by ET Mensah

@pqlasmdhryeiw8 3 месяца назад

❤ Excellent video on an architecture style I did not know about. We yt people clearly need more education on decolonisation. Love the airiness of those buildings. That senior staff club is a gem!

@Incorruptus1 3 месяца назад

Lol, you sure know how to sell a architecting style hehe. And yeah it is nice designs. Specially since it is African culture showing through it. Can you also do one, for other tropical regions. Thank you!

@Kim-em9cn 3 месяца назад

Your comment seems cynical. Could you please explain to me what you mean by it? I seem to be missing it and I’d like to understand.

@luluandmeow 3 месяца назад

Your tone comes across as flippant and sarcastic, I'd say racist actually

@Incorruptus1 3 месяца назад

@@luluandmeow That is how you see it. I rather see this differently and in defence of architecture which is classified poorly. While it actually is a standing niche within architecture itself. So if that is even able to be discriminated, than I am actually defending it's right to exist as a group within architecture itself I don't see that as discriminating. Let stand that a style can be discriminated. I think you take it as discriminating, while it can't be. So don't make me guilty of your false associations, nor of your wrong assumptions.

@katem4365 3 месяца назад

Buildings should IMo be designed and built for the lives of the inhabitants and what enables their comfort and health. So much concrete must have held the heat.

@bobsmith369 3 месяца назад

Beautiful. On the flip side of colonialism, without it there wouldn't be architecture in Africa at all.. You win some you lose some.

@kidmohair8151 3 месяца назад

Ghana, and a host of other ex-colonies are *still* struggling for economic independence, but good ole late imperial capitalism can't afford to let them have that... the system would collapse.

@kirathomsen-cheek9834 3 месяца назад

Architects talk and talk and talk and talk… but all that blather can’t disguise cheap, unattractive buildings. Sorry.

@starcrib 3 месяца назад

"International tropical style" I had no idea- but of course !! My new favorite thing to savor. 🌍🟩🟩🟩🟩🟫🟨🌿🌿 Excellent Commentary and Video. Production.

@MrVorpalsword 3 месяца назад

Very interesting thank you Ola (I worked at MMU), of course Corbusian modernism was inspired by North African white-box architecture [as a response to Picasso's African masks] wasn't it? So Jane Drew was maybe bringing it it back down south again albeit from Corb in India. I saw her at a symposium mentioning that she had worked in Ibadan, Nigeria - so is there a Nigerian Tropical Modernism that needs highlighting too? I must say my recollection of Drew's conversation is hazy, then again it was in the mid-1980s .... p.s. hell yes en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Drew#/media/File:Nigeria.JPG