Is Modern Architecture a Deterrent to the Continuum of South African Tradition ?
In architecture, contextual understanding is a crucial determinant for the success of a project, hence the necessity for one to grasp the context surrounding the argument at hand. Cultural tradition is defined by the Oxford dictionary as the handing down of information regarding beliefs and customs from one generation to another; this is either done by word of mouth or by example. Architecture itself as a cultural tradition passed down from generation to generation. Therefore a nation’s architecture can be used as a means of evaluating the evolution of a nation’s cultural tradition. Through research into South African Architecture and critical thought, this paper substantiates the fact that modern architecture has become a deterrent to the continuum of South African traditional culture.
Originating from an intriguing yet traumatic past where ethnic, tribal and racial differences prevented social interaction within the nation; one would expect that a democratic South Africa would have evolved into a country which architecturally embraced its renowned cultural diversity. Quite contrary to that expectation, modern architecture has managed to steadily deteriorate the potential of a unique South African diversity in architecture, materials and construction technique.
This change initiated with severing the connection between rural and urban areas. Once separated, the rural areas, which are essentially the core of South African tradition, are abandoned due to the stigma that living in rural areas represents poverty, because the vast majority of people imagine a depleted mud hut with a thatched roof when the word rural is uttered.
According to (McIntosh, 2014), “the first thing that is to be understood about vernacular architecture is the great diversity that exists in material and construction technique”. (McIntosh, 2014) Continues to state that; “people in rural areas build according to climate, but more importantly with what materials are available locally. The beehive huts of the Swazi and Zulu, the cliff dwellings of the Dogon in Mali, and the Mosgum conical home in Cameroon are all completely different.”
With the core of South African tradition neglected, natives then seek foreign precedents to inspire the architecture in our both rural and urban areas. It has gotten to the point where we commend architects who are able to adapt international building techniques and materials into our unique African climate, instead of focusing on evolving the architecture of our ancestors.
The traditional construction materials in South Africa include rammed earth, mud, stone, reeds, thatch and bamboo. These materials are sustainable and they have great potential for evolution, because they maximise the use of locally resourced materials and labour. This principle of traditional architecture should be promoted, yet these construction methods are on the verge of extinction. This is due to the fact that buildings that are being constructed in the most rural of areas are generic buildings which are alienated from their context. They are characterised by brick walls and metal roofs which originate from the modern practice of architecture. As paraphrased from a possible hypothesis by (McIntosh, 2014) this issue initiated in the colonial times, when foreign entities had influence power and wealth in the country. The structures were constructed using bricks and metal roofs, this became synonymous with wealth and people have been fixated on this modern architecture ever since then.
(Sanghvi, 2017) Describes successful architecture as being able to connect to both where and when it is being built, and yet it should still stand out. The issue with modern architecture is that it is dynamic and it severs the connection between old and new buildings at a rapid pace. If it can influence where we choose to live or what we choose to live in; the resultant is a change in cultural tradition. It is clear in light of these facts that modern architecture has become a barrier to the continuum of South African traditional culture.
