Evoking the identity and character of African Art, Architecture and history through cultural buildings: The case of Cape-Coast.
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Date
2010-07-18
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Abstract
This thesis aims at identifying some elements and concepts of art and architecture that when incorporated in building designs classifies them African. It also assesses whether evoking such elements and concepts is possible and can be easily identified by the natives of the study area and by foreigners. I conducted a survey to assess the level of awareness in Cape-Coast in Ghana which is rich in cultural heritage sites and African history.
Studies of cultural buildings were carried out to find out how character and identity is given to such buildings to make them culturally significant to the particular culture it is designed for. Survey results showed that there is low knowledge and understanding of African Art, Architecture and History amongst natives in Cape Coast. People generally identify African Architecture by the aesthetic that is evident on the envelope of buildings. Evoking the identity and character of African Art, Architecture and history through cultural buildings will hopefully impact positively on Ghana’s tourism industry. One way African elements and concepts are captured in African buildings is through symbolism. Case studies were conducted on the use of symbolism in buildings and these revealed the two modes of application of symbolism, the literal and abstract modes.
This thesis hopes to address the general lack of clarity on the subject of African Art and Architecture and history amongst ordinary Africans. It is hoped that this thesis will help to incorporate African elements and concepts to develop a unique African Architecture. Through findings of this thesis, model cultural centers can be designed and subsequently this model will help to educate and inform the design of other cultural buildings and eventually all buildings in Ghana.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Architecture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Architecture on November, 2010.