Mozambique is home to extraordinary architecture that is almost unknown. It comprises colonial styles, Art Deco, the unique work by Pancho Guedes with its playful elements, modernist influences from Brazil and Brutalist tendencies. The country gained independence relatively late, in 1975, which resulted in a massive exodus of Portuguese settlers and the slow reoccupation in particular of the capital Maputo by local inhabitants. The book highlights actors, themes and circumstances that contributed to the emergence of architecture and urban fabric in the cities of Mozambique. Starting with the development of the capital city Lourenço Marques (now Maputo) in the 1950s, it moves on to the architectural production of the 1960s and 1970s. It also addresses the complex issues of heritage and conservation and documents the gradual decolonization of modern architecture in the country.
Pages: 224
Language: English
17 × 24 cm
80 illustrations
Lisandra Franco de Mendonça is an architect and heritage conservation researcher based between Porto and Berlin. She is a former Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral fellow. She was educated at Porto University and at the Sapienza University of Rome. She received her double PhD from Coimbra University and Sapienza University of Rome in 2016 and 2020 (dual programme) in architecture and urbanism, and in history and restoration of architecture, respectively. Her research field is the history of 20th century built production under dictatorial and colonial regimes in Europe and Africa