Sankofatecture

SANKOFATECTURE Amie Edwards Master Research Project Chair | Donna Cohen Co-Chair | Charlie Hailey SANKOFATECTURE Time - Space - Itinerary: Architecture and Culture of Accra, Ghana, Africa Table of Contents Introduction Preface 1 Abstract 4 Case Studies National Museum of African American History and Culture 5 Sinthian Threads Art Cultural Center 9 Zinc Mine Museum 15 Parc de La Villette 17 Historical Context Ghana Geographic and Demographic 19 Tribal Villages 21 Castles and Forts 27 Architecture is an artifact of time. The tectonics and materiality of buildings tell the story of society. Making and Movement Revealing the essence of place, the movement of people, and the trajectory of the future. Culture and Secrecy 47 Objects 49 Symbols 53 Edge and Intinerary 57 Landscape 61 Monuments 59 Streets Coast 65 Mapping 69 Independence Park Concept 75 Site 71 Sections and Floorplans 73 Visual Moments 77 Conclusion 79 Bibliography 81 Index 83 Introduction A collected journey of thoughts, questions, movement, memories, exploration and discoveries lead to the research of Ghana, Africa. Looking back, many years ago as a child,13 years old to be exact, growing up in a small rural city in Georgia I started to ask questions about culture identity and my future. The superficialities and generalizations regarding cultural identity as a individual of African descent became a tangible part of my life. In a wood working class in middle school I experienced joy in discovering that the meaning of lines connecting and intersecting on a plane creates spaces. This was the first time I heard about the profession of architecture. However, joy and disappoint collided through social constructs and bound- aries of communal ecologies in which I lived that prevented me from pursuing my interest in architecture. Nevertheless, over the course of time, changes, and shifting in the formation and building of new nodes in life provoked the me to recall the experience of creating spaces. Now, in the path of my architectural learning experience I’ve had the opportunities to travel to different countries and cities; Seoul, Korea, Hong Kong, China, Tokyo and Kyoto Japan, Singapore, Rome, Italy, Barcelona, Spain,and Switzerland to name a few. The built environments in each location varied in scale and texture. Each city was a testament of the history and culture in the region. The streets were aligned with buildings as archives of the past and present narratives. Many of the cities such as Tokyo ,Japan and Rome, Italy allowed me to see the buildings that I learned about in my classes. Yet, It was the opportunity to take an African Architecture seminar with Professor Donna Cohen that provoked me to question and explore an architecture that is not universally known or understood. This seminar also allowed me to recall the knowledge of the socio-cultural identity I discovered in my youth. From this experience I pursued to inves- tigate and travel to Accra, Ghana to explore the architecture of the country. In Accra I discovered an Adinkra symbol that reference movement and time in the Twi language of the Ashanti people called Sankofa (Sahn-koh-fah). The Sankofa means san- to return, ko-to go, fa- to look, to seek and take . The symbol is know as a bird with its head turned backwards while its feet facing forward carrying a precious egg in it’s mouth (The Spirituals Project, 2004). Sankofa is associated with the proverb, “Se wo were fi na wossankofa a yenkyi” which translates to, “It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten. ” time /tīm/ the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole. “travel through space and time” space The Adinkra symbol Sankofa /spās/ a continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied an area of land which is not occupied by buildings. an interval of time i·tin·er·ar·y /ītinərerē/ a planned route or journey 1 Sankofatecture 2 Abstract The inherent connections’ of how architecture influence and shape the social environment is displayed over time. The buildings in many cases tell the story of the culture, economy, religious be- liefs and political composition of the country. Tectonically, the buildings and material elements address climatic conditions within the region. Historically, the urban fabric of various building types was the measure of technological advancement and references of power in the landscape. Culturally, the embodiment of social identity is enscrided in buildings to mark the measure of existence. This research investigates the progression of architectural materialism in the African culture. How with the current rapid urbanization on the African continent, the historical influence of European culture and western built environments, are buildings in Africa being constructed with materials influenced by the local culture? Today, building technologies are allowing a cross pollination of ideas that may not be conducive to the climatic and cultural needs of Africans. This research ask these questions with the focus on the west coastal region of Africa in the country of Ghana isolat- ing the investigation in the area surrounding the capital city Accra. The objective is to inquire how and what is the dynamics of building interventions of the area in reference to time, space and itinerary, by observing the culture and materiality of buildings that connect to the people over time. 3 Sankofatecture 4 CASE STUDIES Fig. 1 North Facade of the National Museum of African American History and Culture Museum (NMAAHC, 2020). Fig. 2 Left: Yoruban sculpture located in the of the museum . Right: View of exterior facade reflecting in the interior space. (NMAAHC, 2020) The case study of the National Museum of African American History is located in Washington, D.C. USA. It was completed in 2016 by the architecture team of Philip Freelon, Davis Adjaye and J. Max Bond. The museum is the last structure in the National Mall, the nations memorial park of historical monuments and buildings. The interesting idea about the museum is that the conceptual design intent is displayed throughout the structure and program of the building. The itinerary of time, culture, space and history is woven into the experience of the building. The facade, the first visible element of the structure, was conceptual designed based on the corona, a three-tiered crown used in Yoruban art from West Africa. The sculpture that served as the inspiration for form of the building is displayed in the uppermost gallery in the museum. The 250,000 square feet facade that take on shape of the corona is covered in a latticework of bronze-colored cast-aluminum panels to celebrate historical patterns by African American ironworkers in the South. The structure extends deep below grade and rises above just over 60 feet (NMAAHC, 2020). Visitors are encouraged to begin their tour at the basement floor to experience the journey of African American history. The history galleries begin in dark rooms with the narrative of slavery, through the civil rights exhibits and arrive to Contemplative Court circular water feature for a place of pause and reflection. The journey continues through five floors of exhibits Fig. 3 Left Drawing of ironwork lattice historical designed by African Americans in the south. Middle: Drawing of the of African American progress to arrive at the top of the building to experience a view of the park and conceptual design of the museum facade. Right: View of facade panel. the city. 5 Sankofatecture Case Studies National Museum of African American History and Culture 6 Fig. 4: Water feature in Contemplative Court, Middle: Jim Crow exhibit in History Gallery, Bottom: Wrist shackles in Slave Exhibit in History Gallery (NMAAHC, 2020). 7 Sankofatecture Case Studies National Museum of African American History and Culture 8 Fig.5 The facade of the in Senegal Sinthian Thread Art Cultural Center (Foundry, B., 2020). The case study of the Sinthian Thread Art Cultural Center was designed pro-bono in 2015 by Toshiko Mori a New York-based architect. The interesting elements of this building is how is it connects with the land and the cultural tradition of the people. The building is situated in the remote community of Sinthian, Senegal, near the border of Mali. The building is constructed using local materials and local builders have shared their technical knowledge of working with bamboo, brick, and thatch. These traditional techniques used by the Senegalese for thousands of years are combined with parametric design innovations by Mori. The customary pitched roof is reconfigured and has the ability of collecting approximately 30% of the villagers’ domestic water usage in fresh rainfall (Foundry, B., 2020). This project offers multiple programs for the community, including gathering space, performance center, and residency for visiting artists. A collaboration with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and American Fig.6 Top Exterior view of roof and entryway Middle Friends of Le Korsa, the cultural facility complements the existing clinics, kindergarten, and farming Open air interior space, Bottom: Gathering space un- der oculus (Foundry, B., 2020). school near the site. It is also meant to ensure stability and provide a common ground within a community consisting of 12 different tribes. The shared music, art, and performance programs are a testament to the resiliency of the region. 9 Sankofatecture Case Studies Sinthian Thread Arts Culture Center 10 Fig.7 Section, floor plan and diagram of the process of the rainwater collection for the Sinthian Thread Art Cul- Fig.8 Site plan of Sinthian Thread Art Center. The spatial organization of the center is conceptual similiar to the tradi- tural Center (Foundry, B., 2020). tion village compound by having single units surrounding a center courtyard (Foundry, B., 2020).

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