To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Art and Architecture at Work Category Event , Publication ​ Period 2012 - 2013 ​ AAmatters team Berend van der Lans ​ Partners /Collaborators BOZAR ArchiAfrika European Commission GoDown Arts Centre ​ Relevant links Bozar article ​ tags #architecture #urbanism #art #community #policy Relevant projects Abattoir Casablanca In the context of the UN Habitat Governing Council Meeting that took place that took place in Nairobi, 15-18 April 2013, a workshop was organised on inclusive urban development in the African urban realm. This workshop was organised in collaboration with the European Commission, the Centre for Fine Arts (BOZAR - Brussels) as well as GoDown Arts Centre, ArchiAfrika and Wolff Architects. Berend van der Lans from AAmatters compiled a publication for this event and lead the workshop that took place in the GoDown Arts Centre in Nairobi and involved Joy Mboya from the GoDown Arts Centre, Joe Addo from ArchiAfrika and Heinrich Wolff from Wolff Architects and a considerable representation of architects, planners and the cultural world from Nairobi. The results of the workshop were presented in the programme of the UN Habitat meeting. Also a presentation took place at the University of Nairobi. At the invitation of UN Habitat, the EC/BOZAR project Art at Work (expanded since the Kampala Regional conference into Art § Architecture at Work), advocated in this high-level official forum the role of artists and architects for urban resonance: dream, inclusiveness, and creativity for urban welfare. ​ Since independences, African artists, particularly photographers, have documented urban life on the Continent, from daily pleasures and struggles, to critical urban, political and environmental issues affecting city life. New aesthetics have emerged, as well as a conscious will by artists to engage in urban development. The growth of contemporary art centres and art biennials in the last 20 years all over the Continent, and their urban programs, attest to this thirst for expression and commitment to the city. A new young generation of African architects is equally socially, culturally and environmentally conscious, placing priority on Africa-relevant resources, design, employment, and sustainability. They offer new approaches to urban planning and development, in tune with urban cultures and environmental issues. ​ A few best practice cases - researched and compiled by Berend van der Lans of African Architecture Matters and BOZAR - are presented, in the form of an exhibit and a side event, as inspirations for urban planning approaches that enhance social cohesion and stability in the city. A publication has been prepared that can be downloaded as pdf as well. In the publication – with an introduction by José Manuel Barroso - there is among others attention to the work of GoDown Arts Centre and their ‘Nai Ni Who?’ project in Nairobi, Doual’art from Douala - Cameroon, Wolff Architects in South Africa, La Fabrique Culturelle in Casablanca – Morocco and Francis Kéré in Bourkina Faso and Mali. back to the projects overview

Amélie chauvin AA Matters’ knowledge, experience and background are extremely valuable. back to the team overview Executive associate architect Following her early years at the University of Avignon where she studied History, Amélie enrolled in the School of Applied Arts ‘Bellecour’ in Lyon, where she began as an art student but eventually achieving her bachelor degree in Space Design. She, then, entered the Brittany School of Architecture in Rennes, France and received the Diploma of Architecture in 2012. The following years she studied at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden, attending the master “Design for Sustainable Development” and graduated as an architect in 2014. For her postgraduate master’s degree, she submitted, along with Alexandra Papadaki, a design proposal for a new form of social housing in Ng’ambo, Zanzibar Town, Tanzania which drew the attention of local authorities and initiated a three-years collaboration with the Department of Urban and Rural Planning (DoURP) of Zanzibar as well as with AAmatters on various projects. Now back in her homeland, she is working as architect at ‘NGA Atelier’ in Corsica, France since April 2017. projects involved Amélie’s expertise encompasses architecture, urban planning and graphic design. She has been a part of Ng’ambo Tuitakayo project from its inception, involved also in the organization and coordination of numerous workshops and community consultations. Along with Alexandra Papadaki, she was involved in the graphic design of several national documents such as the National Spatial Development Strategy (NSDS) for Zanzibar and the Chwaka Local Area Plan (LAP) . Recently, she has been an active member of the team responsible of the production of the Ng’ambo Local Area Plan both as architect and graphic designer. ​ 'Back in 2014, as a young architect stepping out from the school for the first time, I couldn’t think of a better springboard than collaborating closely with AAmatters’ team. Its knowledge, experience and background are extremely valuable for any architect sensitive to architecture and urbanism in historical cities, emerging cities or megacities wanting to address challenges of complex urban conditions in their work.'

These projects have challenged our understanding of vernacular architecture and building methods where knowledge is been explored through stages and sequences of ‘making things’: building spaces through the art of craftsmanship. Immanuel Kwaku Sirron-Kakpor architect Immanuel sirron-kakpor (1968) holds a master’s degree in architecture from the academy of architecture in Amsterdam. Born in Ghana, he resided in the Netherlands between 1994 and 2012. He studied architectural design at royal academy of fine arts The Hague, architecture and urban design at royal Danish academy school of architecture Copenhagen – Denmark. ​ Immanuel is founder and a principal architect at Sirron-Kakpor Architects which have an office in Accra - Ghana. Having worked with several offices in the Netherlands: -, Jo Coenen & co architects Amsterdam, Vera Yanovshtchinsky Architects Bv – The Hague and The Hague Municipal Department of urban development. projects involved It has been a great experience collaborating with AAMatters, starting from African Perspectives in delft, Accra revisited ¸ blueprints of paradise and VOLTASCAPES: rethinking modernity - a master's thesis on a redevelopment proposal for Danyigba in the Volta region in Ghana. ​ These projects have challenged our understanding of vernacular architecture and building methods where knowledge is been explored through stages and sequences of ‘making things’: building spaces through the art of craftsmanship. back to the team overview

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Ng’ambo Atlas CategorY Research , Publication ​ Period 2016 - 2017 ​ AAmatters team Antoni Folkers Iga Perzyna Marie Morel Alexandra Papadaki Amelie Chauvin Berend van der Lans ​ Partners /Collaborators Department of Urban and Rural Planning Zanzibar City of Amsterdam African Studies Centre Leiden Creative Industries Fund ​ Relevant links ​ ​ ​ tags #urban planning #intangible heritage #immaterial culture #placemaking #GO-HUL #finding stories #mapping Relevant projects Ng’ambo Tuitakayo Finding Stories Ng’ambo Housing Research Learning from Casablanca Ng’ambo atlas. Historic Urban Landscape of Zanzibar Town’s ‘Other Side’ ​ Ng’ambo Atlas is the concluding chapter of the Ng’ambo Tuitakayo Project undertaken by the Department of Urban and Rural Planning in Zanzibar and African Architecture Matters, in collaboration with the City of Amsterdam between 2012 and 2016. ​ The goal of the project was to prepare a local area plan (structure plan) for the new city centre of Zanzibar’s capital. From the beginning, our planning exercises were grounded in the notions of urban culture and heritage, while the principles outlined in the UNESCO Recommendation on Historic Urban Landscape provided us with a framework for the subsequent stages of our work. ​ It did not take much time before we realized that the cultural and historic richness of Stone Town’s ‘Other Side’ merited a wider recognition than a technical planning document would allow for. For this reason we decided to collect our findings in an atlas – a format that on the one hand enabled us to bring together and present Ng’ambo’s rich planning history through historic maps and plans, while on the other to draw attention to the outcomes of the mapping of the material and immaterial cultural landscape conducted during the project. ​ Ng’ambo is the lesser known ‘Other Side’ of Zanzibar Town. During the British Protectorate the area was designated as the ‘Native Quarters’, today it is set to become the new city centre of Zanzibar’s capital. Local and international perceptions of the cultural and historical importance of Ng’ambo have for a long time remained overshadowed by the social and cultural divisions created during colonial times. One thing is certain: despite its limited international fame and lack of recognition of its importance, Ng’ambo has played and continues to play a vital role in shaping the urban environment of Zanzibar Town. Ng’ambo atlas presents over hundred years of Ng’ambo’s history and urban development through maps, plans, surveys and images, and provides insights into its present-day cultural landscape through subjects such as architecture, toponymy, cultural activities, public recreation, places for social interaction, handcrafts and urban heritage. ​ The Atlas was launched on the 24th of January 2019 in the Klein Auditorium, Academy Building, of Leiden University in the Netherlands, and on the 13th of July 2019 in the Hifadhi building on Kiponda street, in Zanzibar Tanzania. ​ The Atlas is published by LM Publishers and can be ordered via their website. It is also available online in digital format through the website of the African Studies Centre Leiden, here . ​ The research, production and publication has been made possible through the generous support from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, the Creative Industries Fund NL, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Dar es Salaam, EFL Foundation and the City of Amsterdam. back to the projects overview

the team iga perzyna Director architectural historian alexandra papadaki Executive associate architect engineer Franka van Marrewijk Executive associate urban planner & designer marie morel Associate anthropologist, urban planner & researcher berend van der lans Associate architect our pool of experts Amélie chauvin architect Antoni Folkers architect / co-founder of AAM belinda van buiten architect / artist Nicole bolomey heritage and landscape specialist aurora kazi bassett history of cities and city planning / project manager Immanuel Kwaku Sirron-Kakpor architect antie kaan project and mediatheque support Brendan Culley social geographer / urban project manager Sarah Benbouazza architect & urban planner / intern Steven Zijlstra real estate / project manager / researcher Marloes Hamelink cultural anthropologist / qualitative researcher Rachel Jenkins visual & communication strategies network

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Dak’art Workshop and Exhibition CategorY Education , Exhibition ​ Period 2012 ​ AAmatters team Berend van der Lans ​ Partners /Collaborators College Universtaire de l’Architecture de Dakar Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dakar ​ tags #public space #architecture #reinvention African public space may well provide successful solutions for public space challenges in the West – was the conclusion of the jury of the Blueprints of Paradise competition, developed by the Afrika Museum and AAmatters in 2010. ​ As part of the Dak’art Biannual, the College Universitaire de l’Architecture de Dakar and AAmatters explored this further in a workshop with over 40 students of the 1st to 3rd year of the school, taking place in the week before the Dak’art Biannual 2012, being opened by Senegal’s new Minister of Culture Yousou N’Dour on the 11th of May. ​ The results of this workshop, 6 proposals that aim to optimise the public space in and around Amsterdam CS, introducing ‘structured order’, ‘improved interconnectivity’ and multiple, more spontaneous and flexible use of the space, were presented during the exhibition ‘Vision sénégalaise sur l’espace public aux Pays-Bas: La Gare Centrale d’Amsterdam Réinventée’ as part of the OFF programme of the Dak’art Biannual. The exhibition was held in the garden of the Residence of the Dutch Ambassador, at the Rue des Ambassadeurs in Dakar between 18 May and 1 June 2012. The workshop was run by Mamadou Jean-Charles Tall, Mouhamadou Naby Kane (both CUAD), Cherif Diattara, Mbaye Sene (both Archi Art Concept) and Berend van der Lans (AAmatters). The project is supported by the Royal Netherlands embassy in Dakar. Relevant projects Blueprints of Paradise Stars of Dar Maputopia back to the projects overview

iga perzyna Working with AAmatters is a great and rewarding adventure. Director architectural historian Iga Perzyna holds a master degree in Architectural History from Bartlett School of Architecture and in Historic Conservation from Oxford Brookes. During her studies in London she was briefly involved as an intern at Bukka. Her master thesis from Bartlett looked at the government buildings in Monrovia, Liberia in the context of the post-independence nation building processes taking place in Africa. After graduating in 2014 she worked for the 0047 gallery in Oslo and collaborated on the Conservation Area Statement Proposal–Sagene/Akerselva with the Cultural Heritage Management Office of the City of Oslo. In 2017 she joined the polish NGO Inicjatywa Miasto dedicated to placemaking and revitalisation of public spaces in cities. Iga is working with AAmatters since 2015. back to the team overview projects involved Iga is usually responsible for project coordination and research, from time to time she writes and/or assists in writing project proposals and occasionally pens an article on subjects related to AAmatters’ work. Ng’ambo Tuitakayo FINDING STORIES THe Beeker Method: Planning and Working on the Redevelopment of the African City: Retrospective Glances into the future NG'AMBO ATLAS Uganda Museum ‘Keeping It Modern' BLUEPRINT FOR MAJESTIC CINEMA CULTURE HUB Hifadhi Zanzibar SEOUL BIENNALE EXHIBITION ​

RESEARCH & ACTION FOR THE AFRICAN BUILT ENVIRONMENT Short About 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 Feat. News Featuring News AAM in the book “A Manifesto for Community Driven Processes for Climate Responsive Design” On Wednesday April 12, the Dutch premiere of Tug of War (Vuta N’Kuvute) in Kriterion Amsterdam It happens here! - podcast series available online AAmatters Library The long anticipated Ng’ambo Atlas is finally out! Recent news Reimagining Future African Cities at the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam Search By CAtegories Publication (9) 9 posts Research (6) 6 posts Event (23) 23 posts Exhibition (11) 11 posts Presentation (17) 17 posts Education (4) 4 posts Consultancy (1) 1 post Community (5) 5 posts Workshop (6) 6 posts Urban planning (6) 6 posts Search By Tags Book Climate responsive design collaboration festival film forum heritage Manifesto online workshop participation participatory design playgrounds podcast Publication rise africa roleplay rwanda Rwanda sustainable urban future talks tanzania Uganda urban urbanism zanzibar Feat. Projects 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

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Bayimba Cultural Centre CategorY Research , Consultancy ​ Period 2012 - 2014 ​ AAmatters team Antoni Folkers ​ Partners /Collaborators Bayimba Cultural Foundation (Faisal Kiwewa) DOEN Foundation Amsterdam (client) ​ tags #urban #culture #architecture #research #consultancy Assessment of a proposed project for a cultural centre on Lubiri, one of the royal hills of Kampala, with a rich and also tragic history. ​ The Bayimba Cultural Centre is a combined music-dance-performing arts initiative, already active for a number of years in Kampala and beyond. Relevant projects Pro Credit Ghana back to the projects overview

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Fanjove Lighthouse CategorY Research , Consultancy ​ Period 2013 - 2017 ​ AAmatters team Antoni Folkers Belinda van Buiten Matteo Comminetti Alexandra Papadaki ​ Partners /Collaborators Essential Destinations (Malcolm Ryen and Micol Farina, research and supervision) Nicola Colangelo (financial support) ​ Relevant links Essential Destinations ​ tags #built heritage #research #restoration Relevant projects Hifadhi Zanzibar Fanjove Lighthouse is situated on Fanjove, the outermost island of the Mafia Archipelago, on the southern shores of Tanzania. The lighthouse was built in 1893 by the German colonial authorities, but abandoned at Independence in 1961. Subsequent decay and vandalization led to the building to become seriously endangered in 2013. A quick research was carried out in 2013 and some funds were made available in 2016-2017 to carry out the most urgent conservation works. back to the projects overview

ivan thung During those months I felt like we planted a seed somewhere between the Michenzani Blocks. It makes me feel really excited to see that the seed seems to start growing into a plant! a Steven Zijlstra (28), holding a Master’s degree (ir./MSc.) in Real Estate and Housing from the Delft University of Technology. After my graduation in 2015 I had the chance to work on the housing research at AA Matters. Since June 2015, I work at Diepenhorst de Vos and Partners in The Hague as a project manager / (delegated) project developer. My main focus lies on the redevelopment of shopping center Colmschate, Deventer (Holland). I am passionate about redevelopment projects in a complex context, to improve that context while representing the desires of the client. My field of expertise is project (re)development, project management and real estate finance. projects involved Housing Strategies in a Historic Urban Landscape I researched the housing strategies and did a feasibility study to densify the Neighbourhood of Ng’ambo while respecting its tangible and intangible heritage, which eventually resulted in the Ng’ambo Housing Action Plan. I really enjoyed my time in Zanzibar and Tanzania. Great and dedicated people, good fun. During those months I felt like we planted a seed somewhere between the Michenzani Blocks. It makes me feel really excited to see that the seed seems to start growing into a plant! Another moment I can remember and cherish was the signing session of the shareholder meeting of Hifadhi Zanzibar. A big moment and such a good initiative for Zanzibar City. back to the team overview

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Maputopia CategorY Education , Exhibition ​ Period 2010 - 2012 ​ AAmatters team Belinda van Buiten Antoni Folkers Rachel Jenkins ​ Partners /Collaborators Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Eduardo Mondlane University – Maputo Department of Architecture, University of Pretoria Faculty of Architecture, TU Delft Royal Embassy of the Kindom of the Netherlands - Maputo ​ Relevant links Maputopia blog Maputopia facebook page ​ ​ tags #heritage #past #present #future #urban planning #architecture #art #cityscapes Maputo is close to being an architectural and urban utopia. Maputo as Utopia. MAPUTOPIA celebrates Maputo’s wonderful architectural qualities through a mapping exercise of its past, present and its possible future: another 125 years of architectural pride. Maputo, and in particular the ‘Baixa’, is currently subject to many changes, mostly due to booming economic development which challenge the built heritage of the city. This rapid development provokes a reaction to protect these buildings and urban landscape. Students and tutors of the Architecture Schools of Maputo, Pretoria (South Africa) and Delft (The Netherlands) have jointly researched and redesigned parts of the ‘Baixa de Maputo’. This pioneering international academic exchange was a true success: The individual projects submitted by the students are of high quality and the level of mutual learning has been tremendous. Dino and Humberto, Maputo born artists, have built numerous models of iconic and typical cityscapes and buildings of Maputo. Their models, carefully collected by the Dutch biologist Bernard Groosjohan, celebrate Maputo’s architecture of the past and the present. Relevant projects Stars of Dar Dak’art Workshop and Exhibition back to the projects overview