HISTORY THEORY AND

OFARCHITECTURE I

WELCOME TO ARC 203 CLASS

Lecturer : O.A. OGUNYEMI
 WHAT is HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE ?
 Study of the emergence/evolution of buildings
from pre-historic times;
 Study extends till date – of modern and post-
modern
 Discussing the periods; styles(most times
hooks/hinges on politics, religion, socio-cultural and
economic scenarios); architects and philosophies .
 Architectural Theory ?
Explanation to/of :
 Architectural fact;
 Reasons buildings look the way they do – forms,
proportion and aesthetics
 Rationale for choice of design by architect;
ideologies etc
 Architectural criticisms
Manner of thinking – tailored towards establishing
an argument about a piece of architecture
 Architectural style ?

 Set of building forms adapted overtime;

 Such typologies exist in particular place(s) or
period(s);
 Such types bear on them similar features - form,
material, aesthetics and mode of construction
 Chronology of styles changes over time – due to a
number of factors
 Examples are Vernacular ; Art Nouveou; Modern;
Classical; De Constructivism; Post Modern etc
ART NOUVEAU Buildings
VERNACULAR Style Buildings

POST MODERN Style Buildings

IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY OF
ARCHITECTURE

 Understand background, reason and rationale

behind architectural philosophy;
 Understand influence on society and culture;
 Inspiration for new forms of design;
 Allows for consideration of buildings or cities as
more than visual phenomenon – so to have a
culturally-inclusive approach;
 Understand reason for past unique styles.
LECTURE I CNTD –ARC 203

AFRICAN TRADITIONAL SETTLEMENT

 Africa has always been and remains even now a
region of small rural settlements;
 Settlement patterns vary regionally; contigent on
ecology, economy, and natural resources.
 Materials used are: adobe or stone; mud and
wood,—especially the western African savanna

THREE TYPES OF SETTLEMENT
 Pre- Colonial town : built of short and long-lasting
materials ; people engaged in craft production and in
commerce; Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
Others are in western Africa; ethnically homogeneous
populations – into trade and farming.
 Colonial towns : principal players are colonialists;
built industrial centers e.g Zambian and Zairean
copperbelt; sited in areas of low population density;
sometimes as communication centers/administrative;
 has heterogenous population.
 Small "townships”: established during the colonial
period as local administrative and trading centers;
also connect rural and modern cities.
 LECTUTRE II –ARC 203

NUBIAN ARCHITECTURE
BACKGROUND:
Three kingdoms have existed in
ancient Africa :
 KUSH (Sudan)

 EGYPT

 AKSUM( Ethiopian)
ANCIENT EGYPT AND KUSH(1600-1100)
 KUSH KINGDOM (Ancient Nubia)

 Greatest ancient civilization next to

Egypt;
 Grew around fertile Nile river;

 Known for rich Gold mines;

 Became trade hub/centre;

 Pharaohs sent expeditions on ship

to buy or sometimes steal
Economy and civilization

 It’s civilisation thrived from 2000BC -350AD

 Egyptian traded grain, beer and linen while
 Nubia/Kush traded in gold, ivory leather and
timber
 Between 1600 -1100BC Kushite kingdom fell to
Egyptian kingdom until the end of the new kingdom
when they regained their independence
 They later in the meroe period developed their own
local technology of extracting iron to make spear,
axe, sword etc
Nubian Architecture can be divided
into four distinct periods

A - Group (3700-2250 B.C.) C - Group Kerma (2300-1550 B.C.)

 Known as Lower Nubia  Capital at Kerma;

 Occupied very poor  Employed some
land;
localized mode of
 Developed capacity
for agriculture; architecture;
 ‘Speos’ invention  Religious, large
 Tombs construction circular dwelling
older than Egyptians present;
Distincts periods contd.

 Beliefs in afterlife;  Roads and palace

 Raised burial present;
mounds;  Stones, wooden and

 Grave goods and pliant materials

items buried with used;
dead bodies.  And mud bricks was
prefered.
 Deffufa was an
invention
Napata and Meroe periods;

 Influenced by the Egyptian civilization to

the north
 Presence of pyramids of stone blocks;

Inclined at an angle of 70°; six to thirty

meters in height;
 Sarcophagi ;
Typical Nubian pyramid
Picture of sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
LECTURE III–ARC 203

NUBIAN CHURCH ARCHITECTURE

 Divided into three kingdoms;
a) Makouria; in the middle
b) Nobadia; modern lower Nubia
c) Alwa; in the south
 Southern extreme of the ancient Egyptian empire
 introduction of Christianity; second quarter of the sixth
century by Julian and Theodorus, bishop of Philae;
 pagan temples were promptly converted to churches;
 Byzantine influence via emperor
Theodora around 540 AD
 Basilica type became the leading style;

 Geological and construction items

obtained from river mud deposits and
sandstone; mud + cowdung used for
mortal; chopped straw also used;
 Churches were made of sun-dried bricks

and stone;
 Tri-partite division of church design : Central
nave, Flanking aisle, and Sanctuary usually
apsidal in shape (Haikal);
 Nubian had absorbed Egyptian culture at the
time of Meroe;
Nubian Mud brick construction
Plan of church at also showing Apse at Faras
cathedral
Architectural Details from Faras
Djenne mosque, Mali
 Three first Great Mosque,: built in the thirteenth
century by Koi Konboro, the first Muslim king of
Djenné;
 Large enough to hold half the entire community;
 Koi Konboro’s mosque collapsed when Sékou
Amadou, theruler of the Hausa Empire, conquered
Djenné about 1818;
Amoudu built a low, flat structure with no
towers - ten-foot-high ceiling supported by
wooden posts, on another site east of the old
one: this structure is now known as the second
Great Mosque;
The city of Djenné is one of the oldest
known cities in West Africa;
 The present building dates from 1906-
1907 ;
Located on the floodlands between two
rivers, the Niger and the Bani;
largest mud brick, or adobe,
buildings in the world;
 situated in a large market square;
Used forced labour under the
direction of Ismaila Traoré, head of
Djenné’s guild of masons;
sun-baked mud bricks (called ferey)
used;
Mud Mortal and plaster gives sculpted
look;
bundles of rodier palm sticks,
called toron, 60 cm;
ceramic half-pipes extend to direct rain
water from the roof;
has platform measuring about 75 m x
75 m - 3m high;
6 sets of stairs for access;
 main entrance is on the northern side;
the prayer wall or qibla of the Great
Mosque faces east towards Mecca;
Annual repairs being carried out
Great Mosque in Djenne
Djenne mosque picture showing roof