A recap of the week-long international workshop in Kampala in 2020 during which the team started to work on the project. In the words of the custodians of the museum and experts working on the project the video explains the importance of the CMP as a strategy guiding the future developments of the building. Quite a feat! The work on the video was supervised by Adengo Architecture, credits for the production go to: Uganda National Museum with support from the Getty Foundation.

It’s been a long time in the making, but the first conservation plan for the Uganda National Museum is finally available for download. We have been working alongside a fantastic team composed of historians, architects, designers, conservation specialists, museum staff and managers to produce the CMP. The interdisciplinary team behind the project gives a hint of the extent of expertise that goes into the creation of documents like this. The CMP is not only a tool that enables the building owner (or manager) to plan activities in a structured way in order to safeguard the building and harness its potential, but it is also an invaluable record and source of information on its history. In the process of creating the CMP the team: researched the history of the building, investigated changes and developments of the museum, assessed its condition and defined its cultural, social and architectural significance. We are very proud of being a part of this project and look forward to working on other CMPs in the future . The CMP can be downloaded from the Getty Foundation report library. Find out more about the project here.

2022 is the year of the «Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Étienne», a major cultural event where designers, researchers, intellectuals and art lovers from all over the world come together to question and discuss the practice of design and experiment with its various methods. The 12th edition of the biennale will be running from the 6th of April to 31st of July under theme of "Bifurcations". Bifurcating means to abandon one direction in order to explore another one. Our lives are a series of bifurcations and through this theme, the biennale wants to highlight innovative, inspiring, creative, collective or individual practices that are developed when the unexpected enters our lives and challenges our habits and living environment. According Olivier Peyricot, the scientific director of the Bienniale, “with 7 exhibitions and more than 150 events, the Biennial invites a collective reflection on the capacity of design to accompany these changes. Whether it is a critical and forward-looking tool, an inventive method or a cultural phenomenon, design is being debated in Saint-Étienne.” And guess what? Africa – a continent at the heart of the contemporary ecological and political issues - is the guest of honour of this year’s edition. Inspiring practices from the continent will be the focus of one of the seven exhibitions featuring in the biennale. For us, this event offers the possibility to highlight one of the strategic tools we use in participatory urban planning: the "Design your own house" game board. This object has become an effective way to collect information in a playful way and to overcome language and/or cultural barriers. Visitors will also have the chance to have a closer look at our latest publication “Ng’ambo Atlas, Historic Urban Landscape of Zanzibar Town’s ‘Other Side’”. For more information see the website: https://biennale-design.com/saint-etienne/2022/

AAmatters online library Over the years AAmatters has published on a regular basis and contributed to a number of publications, books and videos. In our online library you will find newsletters developed with ArchiAfrika in the period 2010-2012, articles written for a number of magazines and journals as well as publications, reports and videos related to projects. See also the project pages for material that is project related, but not published by AAmatters. ​ We support sharing of knowledge. You are welcome to download and use the documents presented. Please bear in mind the Creative Commons copyright licensing that we have adopted. If you use our material, we expect you to make reference to the source. If you are interested in specific material or information at high resolution don’t hesitate to get in touch. ​ In case you believe that AAmatters doesn’t have the right to present the shown material online, please contact us so we can take measures accordingly. ​ We also have a physical library in our office, you are welcome to visit us and consult the books on site. publications aa newsletter 1001 Maputo - NewsletterJanuary 2010 ​ aa newsletter 1004 The Magic Game - Newsletter July 2010 aa newsletter 1007 The Magic Game - Newsletter July 2010 aa newsletter 1009 This is Lagos - Newsletter September 2010 aa newsletter 1012 Competitions - Newsletter December 2010 aa newsletter 1101 Special Edition: African Perspectives Conference - Call for Papers - 2011 aa newsletter 1103 Douala: Intertwined Architectures - March 2011 aa newsletter 1106 Blueprints of Paradise - June 2011 aa newsletter 1112 National Museum of Ghana - December 2011 aa newsletter 1204 ANZA - April 2012 aa newsletter 1207 Maghreb in Motion - July 2012 The Beeker Method Planning and Working on the Redevelopment of the African City Finding Stories The role of immaterial culture in city planning Report from the Symposium Ng'ambo Atlas Teaser 17th IPHS Conference Ng'ambo tuitakayo: Reconnecting the Swahili city Planning and Replanning Ng'ambo Zanzibar Something? do.co.mo.mo Modern Africa - Tropical Architecture TEC21 MichenzanI, Häusermeer und Plattenbauten Tec21 Sansibar - Stadt main theme Part D - Urban Planning videos back to the top

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Uganda Museum ‘Keeping It Modern’ CategorY Consultancy Research ​ Period 2019-2020 ​ AAmatters team Berend van der Lans Iga Perzyna ​ Partners /Collaborators Uganda National Museum Adengo Architecture Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Getty Foundation Rand Eppich, Cultural Heritage/ Conservation Architecture ​ Relevant links Keeping It Modern 2019 - Uganda Museum Project Adengo Architecture Keeping it Modern: 2019 Grants Awarded ​ tags #culture #research #museum Relevant projects Art & Architecture at Work Abattoir Casablanca The Uganda National Museum is one of the first purpose-built museums in Africa and one of the first modernist buildings in Kampala. Designed by the German architect Ernst May and built in 1954 it is a highly valued among the local community repository of the country’s cultural heritage. In spite of this the museum has on numerous occasions been threatened with demolition. ​ ​In 2019 the Uganda National Museum was awarded a grant by the Getty Foundation for the production of a conservation management plan as a part of the Keeping It Modern initiative. The project brought together an interdisciplinary and multinational team that was coordinated by the museum team. ​ The work on the Conservation Management Plan started with a week-long international workshop attended by young and senior professionals. The workshop combined hands-on training in condition assessment and environmental assessment with seminars on leadership and management. In the period 2020-21 the team worked remotely on the document, meeting regularly online to discuss the progress and important aspects of the management plan. ​ ​AAmatters was a member of the project team and assisted on the historic research and development of building conservation strategies. ​ The video produced during the workshop is available here . The Conservation Management Plan can be downloaded from the Getty Foundation Report Library . back to the projects overview

RESEARCH & ACTION FOR THE AFRICAN BUILT ENVIRONMENT African Architecture Matters is a not-for-profit consultancy working with the African built environment in the fields of heritage, planning, research and education. ​ We are particularly concerned with the question of how to manage and develop the dynamically changing built environment with respect to the community, culture and history. By collaborating with people and organisations from various disciplines we explore and develop multidisciplinary strategies and interventions that respond to that question. read more projects team network Featuring News With a year’s delay the exhibition ‘It happens here’ finally opens its doors to the public join us in the next Localtalks session! It happens here! - podcast series available online Roleplaying for playgrounds at the RISE Africa 2021 Action Festival! AAmatters Library The 3D version of the Ng’ambo Atlas in Seoul! Ng'ambo Atlas book launch in Zanzibar Centring Africa: Postcolonial Perspectives on Architecture | CCA The long anticipated Ng’ambo Atlas is finally out! Recent news Our participatory tool at the Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Étienn! Search By CAtegories Publication (8) 8 posts Research (6) 6 posts Event (21) 21 posts Exhibition (11) 11 posts Presentation (16) 16 posts Education (4) 4 posts Consultancy (1) 1 post Community (5) 5 posts Workshop (5) 5 posts Urban planning (6) 6 posts Search By Tags collaboration festival heritage online workshop participatory design playgrounds podcast rise africa roleplay sustainable urban future talks tanzania Uganda urban zanzibar Featuring projects Ng’ambo Atlas After the completion of the Ng’ambo Tuitakayo project, the collected material during the mapping phase appeared so rich, that together BLUEPRINT FOR MAJESTIC CINEMA CULTURE HUB The history of cinema in Zanzibar goes back to the early 20th century. In its heydays the island was home to three permanent movie theatres Uganda Museum ‘Keeping It Modern’ AAmatters forms part of the project team of the Uganda Museum ‘Keeping It Modern’ project aiming at developing a conservation