Colonial architectures, urban planning and the representation of Portuguese imperial history

Nuno Domingos

Abstract


This article proposes a critical analysis of recent interpretations made to the history of architecture and urban planning in the Portuguese colonial context in the twentieth century, particularly in the former African territories. More generally, it intends to explore how the internal history produced by specific fields of activity, such as architecture or urbanism, can reinforce the logic of a national and nationalized history. This effect is due partly to the fact that the legitimacy of these fields is largely dependent on the national identification in the context of activities that are internationalized. I will argue that the specific field of activity, while creating this internal discourse, can directly or indirectly produce representations of the nation, its history and its people on a larger scale, penetrating popular culture and influencing a shared common sense. In the case in question, the internal discourse on architectural and urbanistic works, on authors and styles, eventually reinforces an idealized and idyllic image of Portuguese colonialism.This article proposes a critical analysis of recent interpretations made to the history of architecture and urban planning in the Portuguese colonial context in the twentieth century, particularly in the former African territories. More generally, it intends to explore how the internal history produced by specific fields of activity, such as architecture or urbanism, can reinforce the logic of a national and nationalized history. This effect is due partly to the fact that the legitimacy of these fields is largely dependent on the national identification in the context of activities that are internationalized. I will argue that the specific field of activity, while creating this internal discourse, can directly or indirectly produce representations of the nation, its history and its people on a larger scale, penetrating popular culture and influencing a shared common sense. In the case in question, the internal discourse on architectural and urbanistic works, on authors and styles, eventually reinforces an idealized and idyllic image of Portuguese colonialism.

References


Aguiar, J. A. de (1952), L´Habitation dan les pays tropicaux/Housing in Tropical Countries, Lisbon: Federation Internationale de l´Habitation et de l’Urbanisme.

Ascensão, E. (2013), ‘Following engineers and architects through slums: The technoscience of slum intervention in the Portuguese-speaking landscape’, Análise Social, 206: XLVIII, pp. 154–80.

Billig, M. (1995), Banal Nationalism, London: Sage.

Bourdieu, P. (1985), ‘The genesis of the concepts of habitus and field’, Sociocriticism: Theories and Perspectives, II: 2, pp. 11–24.

—— (1986), ‘L’Illusion biographique’/‘The biographical illusion’, Actes de la recherche en sciences sociales, 62–63, pp. 69–72.

Curto, D. R. and Cruz, B. P. da (2013), ‘Cidades coloniais: Fomento ou controlo?’/‘Colonial cities: Development or control?’, in N. Domingos and E. Peralta (eds), A Cidade e o Colonial/The City and the Colonial, Lisbon: Edições 70, pp. 113–166.

Domingos, N. (2013), ‘A desigualdade como legado da cidade colonial portuguesa: Racismo e reprodução de mão-de-obra em Lourenço Marques’/‘Inequality as a legacy of the Portuguese colonial city: Racism and labour reproduction in Lourenço Marques’, in N. Domingos and E. Peralta (eds), A Cidade e o Colonial/The City and the Colonial, Lisbon: Edições 70, pp. 59–112.

Fernandes, J. M. (1999), ‘Arquitectura e urbanisno no espaço ultramarino português’/‘Architecture and urbanism in the Portuguese overseas territories’, in F. Bettencourt and K. Chaudhuri (eds), História da Expansão Portuguesa/History of Portuguese Expansion, vol. 5, Lisbon: Circulo dos Leitores, pp. 334–83.

—— (2002), Geração Africana: Arquitectura e Cidades em Angola e Moçambique, 1925–1975/African Generation: Architecture and Cities in Angola and Mozambique, Lisbon: Horizonte.

—— (2005), Arquitectura e Urbanismo na África Portuguesa/Architecture and Urbanism in Portuguese Africa, Casal de Cambra: Caleidoscópio.

—— (2010), ‘Arquitectura e urbanismo na África subsaariana: Uma leitura’/ ‘Architecture and urbanismo in sub-Saharan Africa: An interpretation’, in J. Mattoso (ed.), F. T. Barata and J. M. Fernandes (eds), Património de Origem Portuguesa no Mundo. Arquitectura e Urbanismo. África, Mar Vermelho, Golfo Pérsico/ Heritage of Portuguese Origin in the World. Architecture and Urbanism. Africa, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Lisbon: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian.

—— (2011), Arquitectura e Urbanismo de Matriz Portuguesa/Portuguese-Style Architecture and Urbanism, Lisbon: Caleidoscópio/Universidade Autónoma.

Ferreira, A. R. F. (2006), ‘Obras públicas em Moçambique: Inventário da produção arquitectónica executada entre 1933 e 1961’/‘Public works in Mozambique: Inventory of architectural work carried out between 1933 and 1961’, Master’s dissertation, Departamento de Arquitectura, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologias, Universidade de Coimbra.

Fonte, M. (2012), Urbanismo e Arquitectura em Angola: De Norton de Matos à revolução/Urbanism and Architecture in Angola: From Norton de Matos to the Revolution, Casal de Cambra: Caleidoscópio.

Forde, D. (1956), Social Implications of Industrialization and Urbanization in Africa South of the Sahara, London: International African Institute.

Fry, M. and Drew, J. (1964), Tropical Architecture in the Dry and Humid Zone, New York: Reinhold.

Guedes, A. de A. (1971), ‘The caniços of Mozambique’, in P. Olivier (ed.), Shelter in Africa, New York: Praeger, pp. 200–209.

Guedes, P. (9 June 1963), ‘A cidade doente’/‘The sick city’, A Tribuna, pp. 6–7.

Hedges, D. (ed.) (1999), História de Moçambique/History of Mozambique, vol. II, Maputo: Universitária de Maputo.

Henriques, I. C. (1999), ‘A sociedade colonial em África: Ideologias, hierarquias, quotidianos’/‘Colonial society in Africa: Ideologies, hierarchies, day-to-day’, in F. Bettencourt and K. Chaudhuri (eds), História da Expansão Portuguesa/History of Portuguese Expansion, vol. 5, Lisbon: Circulo dos Leitores, pp. 216–74.

Henriques, I. C. and Vieira, M. P. (2013), ‘Cidades em Angola: Construções coloniais e reinvenções africanas’/‘Cities in Angola: Colonial constructions and African reinventions’, in N. Domingos and E. Peralta (eds), A Cidade e o Colonial/The City and the Colonial, Lisbon: Edições 70, pp. 59–112.

Liscombe, R. W. (2006), ‘Modernism in late-imperial British West Africa: The work of Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, 1946–1956’, Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, 65: 2, pp. 188–215.

Magalhães, A. and Gonçalves, I. (2009), Moderno Tropical: Arquitectura em Angola e Moçambique/Tropical Modern: Architecture in Angola and Mozambique, Lisbon: Tinta da China.

Mendes, M. C. (1985), Maputo antes da Independência: Geografia de uma Cidade Colonial/Maputo before Independence: Geography of a Colonial City, Lisbon: Centro de Estudos Geográficos das Universidades de Lisboa.

Milheiro, A. V. (2005), A Construção do Brasil: Relações com a Cultura Arquitectónica Portuguesa/The Construction of Brazil: Links with Portuguese Architectonic Culture, Oporto: Faculdade de Arquitectura.

—— (2007), ‘Introdução’/‘Introduction’, in P. Guedes, Pancho Guedes, Manifestos, Ensaios, Falas, Publicações/Pancho Guedes, Manifestos, Essays, Talks, Publications, Lisbon: Ordem dos Arquitectos.

—— (2012), Nos Trópicos sem Le Corbusier: Arquitectura Luso-Africana

no Estado Novo/In the Tropics without Le Corbusier: Luso-African Architecture during the New State, Lisbon: Relógio D’Água.

Milheiro, A. V. and Saldanha, J. L. (2012), Luís Possolo: Um arquitecto do Gabinete de Urbanização do Ultramar, Lisbon: Centro de Investigação Arquitectura Áreas Metropolitanas.

Morais, J. S. (2001), Maputo, Lisbon: Horizonte.

Newitt, M. (1997), História de Moçambique/History of Mozambique, Lisbon: Europa-América.

Penvenne, J.-M. (1995), African Workers and Colonial Racism: Mozambican Strategies and Struggles in Lourenço Marques, 1877–1962, London: James Currey.

Pina-Cabral, J. (2012), ‘A catedral das palhotas: Religião e política no Moçambique tardo-colonial’/‘Cathedral of huts: Religion and politics in late-colonial Mozambique’, in C. Castelo, O. R. Thomaz, T. Cruz e Silva and S. Nascimento (eds), Os Outros da Colonização: Ensaios sobre o Colonialismo Tardio em Moçambique/Colonialism’s Others: Essays on Late Colonialism in Mozambique, Lisbon: Imprensa de Ciências Sociais, pp. 251–81.

Portas, N. (1999), ‘Arquitectura’/‘Architecture’, in A. Barreto and M. F. Mónica (eds), Dicionário de História de Portugal/Dictionary of the History of Portugal, Oporto: Figueirinhas, pp. 118–26.

Rita-Ferreira, A. (1967–68), ‘Os africanos de Lourenço Marques’/‘The Africans of Lourenço Marques’, in Memórias do Instituto de Investigação Científica de Moçambique/Records of the Mozambique Scientific Research Institute, 9, Série C, pp. 95–491.

Simões, J. (1948), ‘A profissão de arquitecto nas colónias’/‘The architect profession in the colonies’, in Actas do I Congresso de Arquitectura 1948/Proceedings of the First Architecture Conference 1948, Lisbon: Sindicato Nacional dos Arquitectos.

Tostões, A. (2009), ‘Prefácio’/‘Preface’, in A. Magalhães and I. Gonçalves, Moderno Tropical: Arquitectura em Angola e Moçambique/Tropical Modern: Architecture in Angola and Mozambique, Lisbon: Tinta da China.

Williams, R. (1973), The Country and the City, New York: Oxford University Press.

Zamparoni, V. (1998), ‘Entre Narros e Mulungos: Colonialismo e paisagem social em Lourenço Marques, c.1890–c.1940’/‘Between Narros and Mulungos: Colonialism and social landscape in Lourenço Marques’, Doctoral thesis, Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas, Universidade de São Paulo.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.