The protohistoric remains of Senegambia
The architecture of the West African region that is now Senegal dates back to the Neolithic period. Many megaliths are still standing, bearing witness to the beginnings of proto-architecture. The megalithic circles of Senegambia are a fine example. Throughout this region, between the two rivers of the same name, there are almost a hundred of them - ninety-three to be precise - and they are listed as Unesco World Heritage sites. The circles are spread over four sites: Sine Ngayène, Wanar, Wassu and Kerbatch. The stones, ranging in size from eight to fourteen, are carved from volcanic rock or laterite, forming concretions that are easy to work with. They are part of a larger group of sites that also includes undressed stones and protohistoric burial mounds dating back to the 1st and 2nd millennia BC.
Vernacular architecture
Suffocated by colonial power and internal rivalries, traditional societies have never used or considered architecture as a mark of power. Nevertheless, their genius and intelligence were manifested through a strictly functional habitat, admirably beautiful by its sobriety and privileging the use of local materials: stone, earth, wood and straw. This genius was manifested indiscriminately in all regions of Senegal, from the earthen huts of eastern Senegal, naturally air-conditioned and perfectly adapted to the rigors of the climate, to the Casamance and its magnificent impluvium huts, whose funnel-shaped roofs collect rainwater, and its astonishing multi-story huts - not forgetting the Sahelian Peul huts, whose lightness and ease of assembly are suited to the nomadic lifestyle. Among the farming peoples, the granaries that accompany the houses are a constant, whatever the materials with which they are made, they are always found raised above the ground, in order to preserve their contents from rodents.
The vernacular architecture responds in all its details, like the Dogon cosmogony, to mystical and ancestral imperatives, which can be guessed in the fractal organization of the habitat and the organic form of the concessions.
The dual heritage of Métis and colonial architecture
The islands of Gorée and Saint-Louis, both listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, are considered masterpieces of colonial architecture. This assessment needs to be qualified. A distinction must be made between Métis architecture and colonial architecture. Although both cities developed well during the colonial era, they were built by the Métis bourgeoisie, who monopolized the country's economic and political power for almost three centuries. This characteristic housing, with its arcades, verandas and shaded courtyards, was designed and built by the signares (the Métis women of Gorée and Saint-Louis) and their descendants, who often strongly opposed colonial authority. The Maison Guillabert, built in 1900, and the Hôtel du Palais in Saint-Louis are fine examples of the architecture of the Métis bourgeoisie of the period.
The Maison des esclaves in Gorée is one of the most symbolic sites of the slave trade. Dating from 1776, it is believed to be the last surviving slave house in Gorée. Its two-spire staircase frames a central corridor steeped in history. It opens directly onto the sea, creating a bright, light-filled opening at the heart of the building. This is where the slaves would have set off on their journey of no return. At least, that's what its curator used to tell all visitors. Historical research has determined that this was in fact the home of signare Anna Colas, but the fact remains that the site is part of the duty of remembrance - the first floor of this beautiful ochre building now serves as a museum. The perseverance of its curator, Boubacar Ndiaye (1922-2009), helped place Gorée at the heart of the history of slavery, until the island was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1978. There must have been something to be said for so much affabulation!
For their part, the colonists produced monumental architecture in these towns, designed to impress the natives and mark their power - military at first, administrative later. Thus, as rivalries between nations subsided, the old fort at Saint-Louis, founded in 1659, became the governor's palace. The palace built later in Dakar by Governor Roume inspired a whole series of overloaded neoclassical structures, such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Town Hall.
Mixing of genres
Some buildings in Dakar stand out for their originality and their sometimes confusing eclecticism, such as the Cathedral of African Remembrance, inaugurated in 1929. Its towers reflect the neo-Sudanese architecture that was in vogue at the time (expressing the synthesis of Sudanese and colonial styles) while its multiple domes and terraces are made in a pure Byzantine style. Its caryatids have the features of young Fulani women. Its materials are African (Sudanese sandstone, Tunisian marble, Gabonese wood) and European (Breton granite and Auteuil bronzes). The building is built on a Greek cross plan, the center of which is occupied by a vast dome lit by twenty windows.
The Dakar station was built in 1914 in a colonial style that seems to be influenced by Art Nouveau, as evidenced by its large glass facades and their fine metal structures, as well as the canopies and cornices. Its ochre color and its sloping roofs evoke the local and colonial architecture. The Kermel market, with its large metal frame, shows signs of Islamic architecture on its façade, whose door is formed by a large horseshoe arch, characteristic of Moorish architecture. It was completely rebuilt in 1997 after a fire. The Sandaga market can be recognized by its reinforced concrete lacework reproducing a moucharabieh. It is now threatened with demolition. A magnificent example of the Sudanese-Sahelian style, the Théodore Monod Museum of African Art was built in 1931.
Thanks to the use of concrete, the buildings are getting taller. The Maginot building in Dakar is representative of the architectural style of the 1940s. A modern architecture is gradually emerging. The buildings surrounding the Place de l'Indépendance, such as the Cheikh Anta Diop University (1959) and the grand hotel of Ngor Diarama, are fine examples.
Senghor and asymmetrical parallelism
At independence, in 1960, President Senghor, who had just inherited the reins of power, wanted an aesthetic renewal of architecture, which would draw its inspiration from local tradition. He redefined the canons of the Sudano-Sahelian style and invented the "asymmetrical parallelism", which he made compulsory - and the law is still in force. Examples that clearly claim to be asymmetrical parallelism are the Dakar fair, called CICES, and his own house on the Corniche, which became the Senghor Museum. Another example is the emblematic Kébé building, built in the 1990s, which is one of the tallest in Dakar. The irregularly cut line of its façade creates a play of lines evoking Op'art. In the city center, some large buildings will be inspired by the shape and colors of African masks or traditional weavings.
Contemporary architecture
Dakar, the old white city on the Cape Verde, is now undergoing a major transformation. While its wide, shady avenues have been preserved, the century-old trees are gradually disappearing and construction sites are multiplying. The oceanfront corniche is becoming denser as land values rise. Elegant modern buildings replaced the streamlined styles of previous decades. Small villas with ornate mantling and finials, chosen by settlers from catalogs, gradually disappeared, victims of land speculation. The Maison des anciens combattants, inaugurated in 1950, recognizable by its beautiful Art Deco façade adorned with a large bas-relief that follows the curve of the building on the second floor, is in a sorry state. A few still stand as anachronistic witnesses to a bygone era. The Porte du troisième millénaire, by Pierre Goudiaby Atepa (1947-), erected in 2001, is intended to symbolize the capital's intense development. The Senegalese architect is also renowned for his design of the impressive African Renaissance monument, also in Dakar.
A new generation of architects is emerging in Senegal, such as the AMKNA studio, which was nominated in the Future Projects category at the World Architecture Awards for the Sedhiou Cultural Center. This brick building features an airy sheet-metal roof, with an open framework detached from the surrounding walls, allowing air to circulate. A circular opening in the center collects rainwater and creates an interior fountain. Its funnel-shaped roof is a direct quote from the Casamance impluvium huts, and a tribute to local genius. The openings on the facades, framed in wood, are a strong reminder of asymmetrical parallelism.
An architectural heritage at risk
Poorly protected by inadequate regulations, lack of funds and insufficient awareness, the entire Senegalese architectural heritage is threatened with extinction. Corrugated iron is gradually replacing straw and cement blocks are replacing mud bricks.
The appearance of air conditioners marks the abandonment of the consideration of climatic criteria in the architectural vocabulary and the disappearance of high ceilings, verandas, shutters, screens and sunbreakers. This is particularly noticeable in the suburbs of Dakar, where the dominant architectural model is similar to a cube entirely covered with tiles, flanked by loggias with improbable shapes.
On the edge of the desert, Fulani shepherds settle in houses of uncertain comfort, but certainly modern, while in Casamance, the impluvium huts are now counted on the fingers of one hand. The damage to heritage is irreversible and architects, dear to Senghor's heart, are sometimes the main actors. In fact, the Dakar School of Architecture closed its doors in 1991. Unesco's protection remains derisory and there is now strong talk of placing Saint-Louis on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
