As part of the Architecture of the United Africa Project I wanted to visit Banjul to investigate if there was any surviving buildings remaining from the UAC era. There was surprisingly little material in the UAC archive relating to the town and wider country – and we knew that the business focused its efforts elsewhere in West Africa. Despite this – there was a Kingsway Store, Palm Line Offices, and possibly several other European trading companies operating merchant stores, warehousing, wholesaling, and produce export businesses.
Kingsway StoresUAC warehousingPossibly African and Eastern Trading Corporation?
Banjul is a compact capital and we were able to quickly locate the old trading spots located around the Albert Market area. Here there are many traders importing fabric and textiles from China and India and it remains a thriving port. The Kingsway Stores and associated wholesaling lockups are still there, along with a series of other colonial period structures. Some of the older trading villas are now complete ruins and urgent documentation is required if rehabilitation isn’t possible.
Old Trading Store now ruined and overgrown
There are a number of Modern structures that we couldn’t identify, and some experimental architecture amongst the more restrained trading stores. There’s clearly a need for a mapping and documentation project to list and identify the history of these structures.
One of the highlights was the number of banking offices, including a design by Pierre Goudiaby (b 1947), the Senegalise architect responsible for Gambia’s airport, the National Theatre in Dakar, and the gigantic 49m tall African Renaissance Monument, also in Dakar.
Bank in Banjul by Pierre Goudiaby, 1985Banjul Airport, Pierre Goudiaby, 1997African Renaissance Monument, Pierre Goudiaby, 2008
The flanks of the avenue include the University Conference centre buildings and the Archivist Department. On top of ornate red brick podiums, where the bricks are laid in soldier bond and proud of the building line, sit curved forms clad in sea shells that add subtle texture and shadow. The buildings were designed by Henri Chomette and Roland Depret in 1976.
A visit to the international conference centre in Dakar is a must for late ‘modern’ architecture aficionados. The approach sets the scene, as one passes through the triangular entrance gates.
A creation of architect Fernand Bonamy designed and built following an architectural competition in 1974 its triangular programme is clear from the outset. This trade fair complex, which remains in working use, was designed to incorporate the triangle both in elevation and functional section. This has been a largely successful exercise in which the triangle is pre-eminent in all aspects of design.
Walking around one feels the eerie nature of triangular space. Broken by long walkways with circular-cylindrical fulcrum points where the direction changes and the gradual slope continues upwards or downwards to the final traverse destination.
A series of exhibition pavilions are the centrepiece of this much recorded and photographed campus, whilst the main exhibition hall provides a glorious 70’s interior complete with psychedelic wall designs . The dogged following of the triangular programme does provide a coherent set of buildings – which also feel part of a giant Alice in Wonderland setting where the triangles are here there and everywhere. There are a few breaks as the HVAC external ductwork terminate in lozenge- and not triangular shaped flues .
As we walked around, the campus was being prepared for yet another exhibition / expo. This helps highlight the ongoing use and versatility of the exhibition space format, democratically giving each exhibitor the same space, shape and form to engage with, triangular in every way.
As I walk away from triangular wonderland I wonder what else this amazing set could support? A parkour and skate park for the suburban kids whose flats look down on the complex? A contained mini athletics course, it could certainly hold a 200m track circuit and many triangular spaces could provide storage for track and field equipment. Or could it indeed be a film set for the next James Bond Action or Hammer Horror movie – The return of the Triangles.
We’re making a visit into Dakar in Senegal this week. It’s mainly an exploratory trip as we’ve not ventured into Francophone Africa before and are eager to meet up with some architects here and friends from MOHOA .
Today was all about pounding the streets and exploring some of the everyday commercial architecture, public buildings, docklands, religious buildings, museums, and streetscapes of downtown Dakar. It didn’t disappoint and using our trusty Vol2 of the Sub-Saharan Africa guide we were quickly able to track down some of the classics (and many more that don’t feature in the impressive guide).
Chamber of Commerce, 1926.Kermel Market, 1910, Charles Pleyber
The Kermel market sits amongst an array of colonial era structures. It was destroyed by fire 1993, but rebuilt in 1997 to match the original design.
Dakar railway station with faience ceramic facade detailing. The newer interior structure provides control to the tracks and adds further commercial space.
Commercial structures, residences, markets, and banks by the docklands of Dakar. I thought the images top left and top middle were the Sandaga Market – but not sure now. There’s going to be a lot of further research and investigation required after this trip….
Museum of Black CivilisationGrand National Theatre, 2011, Pierre Goudiaby Atepa
Just beyond the Train Station are two vast civic structures – the National Theatre [the largest in Africa] and the Museum of Black Civilisation, built by the Shanghai Construction Group in 2018.
Institut d’Hygiène Sociale was a highlight today – designed by Henry Adenot around 1932 attempted to introduce more regional or local interpretations to the colonial architecture canon. This building has been described as Sudano-Sahelian but it borrows liberally from across Western African architecture, as well as introducing zig-zag motifs, sunbursts, and playful interiors.
Most of the downtown area it set out according to a grid plan, with buildings reaching 4 or 5 stories in height. There’s a variety of commercial structures some bearing the name of the old trading companies and families, others depicting bas relief decorative panels or double-skin solar breakers.
An exhibition that we’ve been very much looking forward to opens this week at the V&A Museum in London. We’ve got a few of our models on display at the exhibition, and have been involved behind the scenes. There’s a large contingent from the Transnational Architecture Group making their way to various opening events this week and you can expect a series of reviews and critiques here shortly.
There’s also an article out today by Oliver Wainwright in The Guardian that discusses the exhibition concept – and some of our favourite buildings.
We inaugurated AHUWA’s Architecture in Nigeria Series this week with two talks from architects Seun Odowole and James Inedu George .
Pre-lecture tea with Susan Golligher; Maleka Egeonu-Roby, Michelle Charters, Obuks Ejohwomu; Ola Uduku, Seun Oduwole, James Inedu George, and Prof emeritus Tunde Zack Williams
After gathering at the Liverpool School of Architecture for pre-lecture tea, we talked across the Square to the new Yoko Ono Lennon Centre for the talks to begin. Both Seun and James are involved in designing new museums in Nigeria and Ghana, and we were joined by colleagues from the Liverpool International Slavery Museum who are collaborating with LSA and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios on the refurbishment and reimagining of that space.
Join us at Liverpool School of Architecture this Wednesday 21st Feb 2024 at 14:30 for a lecture double bill discussing and showcasing contemporary Nigerian architecture, design practice and thinking.
We have two key players who are part of the the new contemporary West African Architecture scene. First we have Seun Oduwole, who graduated in Architecture from Nottingham University and after working in practice in the UK returned to Nigeria to set up his own practice Studio Imagine.Simply Architecture [SI.SA].
He will be speaking about his recently completed John Randle Centre in Lagos discussing the design history matters of heritage, and also the challenges of building on prime real estate in the Lagos central business district. As he has practiced both in the UK and now works as a diaspora returnee architect, we will hear his views on the contemporary West African Architecture scene.
We also have James Inedu George, a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University. He runs the architectural practice HTL Africa, whose main laboratory is in Lagos Nigeria. Currently, he and his firm, HTL Africa, are working towards creating canonical typologies for our cities from an intense research on (Hausa) Traditional Architecture.
James lectures internationally on a regular basis and has featured in several publications globally. HTL Africa’s interests range from cultural to cutting edge technological exploration through architecture. Creating what might be read as experimental architecture, this research and implementation firm has an output that is at once fresh, modern and forward thinking. HTL also has tentacles in Dubai.
Do come to join what is likely to be a really illuminating afternoon discussing contemporary Architecture and heritage issues in West Africa.
In the shadow of the 26 storey Cocoa House (Africa’s tallest structure at one point – 1964-65 , architect?, contractor Cappa and D’Alberto) is a small, much more interesting, circular building clad in mosaic and topped with a dome. The splayed cantilevered entrance leads to a swimming pool with beautiful concrete diving boards and viewing gallery. The circular building is now a night-club.
From here we visited the library complex and another domed building with vertical brise-soleil used by FirstBank. We continued to Fry and Drew’s Co-operative bank tower with its associated set of structures set behind, including the Obisesan Hall (similar to Trenchard Hall in its outline but lacking the expensive materials and finish) and a series of shops and flats. It’s an interesting grouping of projects covering a city block and bringing together office, assembly, retail, and residential spaces into a mixed use constellation.
Archival / Library buildingBanking hallLibraryCo-op Banking Tower, Fry and DrewObisesan Hall, Fry and DrewFlats and shops, Fry and Drew
Opposite is Design Group’s Finance House (now Aje House) with the concave mosaic above the entrance. The Nigerian Broadcasting house is also here, again clad in the distinctive blue tessellating tiles that are a key feature of Ibadan’s modernist structures. The Kingsway store (by T P Bennett, 1960) has a distinctive tower competing for attention as Ibadan’s architecture increased its scale and storey heights during the post-independence boom. Each façade of the store is given a different treatment – the tricolour mosaic façade responds to the Broadcasting House opposite and whilst the east and west facing facades are treated with vast brise soleil built on rubble walling. It’s a major project, and once the largest store in the city fitted out with fine materials. Part of the building is still occupied, but it’s dilapidated and suffering from years of neglect.Â
Aje House (formerly Finance House); Design GroupMosaic art work by entrance of Aje HouseBroadcasting HouseMural on Broadcasting HouseIbadan KingswayIbadan KingswayIbadan KingswayFacade detail on Ibadan Kingsway
John Holts offices sits opposite and the United Africa Company offices is also amongst this mercantile cluster, with its distinctive symmetrical ‘deco’ façade and projecting canopies could be a late James Lomax-Simpson project?
John HoltsUnited Africa Company
We couldn’t visit Ibadan without calling at the modernist campus at University of Ibadan. We visited Trenchard Hall and the administrative block, as well as Kenneth Dike Library. As well as these Fry and Drew classics we revisited the small Chapel of the Resurrection designed by ecclesiastical architect George Pace (1915–75).
Off campus it was a real privilege to finally visit the Dominican Chapel by Demas Nwoko (b1935)- winner of the Venice Bienalle Golden Lion Award 2023. This tribute was long overdue for this visionary polymath artist. His work is difficult to describe, but easy to understand and enjoy. Architecture is Nwoko’s medium. He uses architecture (i.e. space, light, volume, materials, procession) as others sculpt clay or apply paint.
The chapel has various layers – each element works as a distinct component whilst adding to the whole. I particularly enjoyed the loggia at the back of the chapel, as well as the flow of light down from the steeple onto the alter below. It’s quirky and full of whimsey, but there are no gimmicks or affected gestures – it’s a beautiful chapel and a joyful place.
Here’s a few more structures from Unilag beyond the well-known examples from the centre of campus.
Architecture School and surrounding buildings.
Queen Amina Hall – could this be a Design Group project? The concrete screens, elevational treatment and form suggest it might be [or an overlooked Alan Vaughan-Richards design perhaps?]. Opposite the Hall is another structure with a similar concrete screen motif, and adjacent is the Education building. These are carefully designed structures and expertly detailed and constructed – but we don’t know anything more on the design team and architect.
The Management building has an excellent (and overlooked) courtyard. It really enhances the space, creates a hidden garden, and turns the utilitarian corridor/circulation space into a place worth spending time in (just ignore the new extension/entrance lobby and plastic grass).
Engineering Labs: Heavy interlocking concrete louvres at first floor level with Y beams projecting beyond the building line at roof level supporting clerestory lights and roof structure. It’s a brutalist reimagining of the James Cubitt Engineering block at Kumasi – but twice the size….
Unilag is an important campus with a highly valuable and important set of late modernist post-colonial architecture. There’s a lot more work required here to identify the architects and to produce a campus map, gazetteer, and environmental analysis of these significant buildings.
Niger House by James Lomax-Simpson. Designed for the Niger Company after they were bought out in 1920 by Lever Brothers. Lever wanted to consolidate their various offices and retail units in Lagos into a central location overlooking the Marina. The only good site available was owned by Trading Association of Nigeria. To obtain the site Lever purchased the entire company and Lomax-Simpson designed the new building there. It had a retail space on the ground floor with staff lounges and accommodation above. It wasn’t to Lever’s taste and he complained about it having a ‘town hall’ feel.
New windows have been punched through the portico and an additional storey added. In the same district of Lagos is Wilberforce House, built for Manchester cotton traders G B Ollivant. The United Africa Company was formed by the merger of Niger Company and African and Eastern, and they went on to purchase G B Ollivant in 1933.
Wilberforce House was constructed by Taylor Woodrow West Africa (and the UAC had a 50% stake in this business too).
Perhaps the most well-known UAC owned business was Kingsway Stores. They had branches across West Africa. The Lagos branch filled an entire city block and was originally designed as a store and office for the African and Eastern Trading Corporation. The Deco style portico was added later.
Transnational Architecture Group 