To the origins
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Twyfelfontein is home to one of the largest concentrations of rock paintings and engravings in the world. From representations of wild animals to footprints and human figures painted in red ochre, the site bears witness to the rich ritual practices of Namibia's first peoples, whose presence is attested as far back as the Stone Age. These masterpieces of rock art were created by the San, also known as "Bushmen", the oldest inhabitants of these southern African lands. Nomads, the San developed a singular habitat: the grass hut. Circular in shape and usually with a domed roof, these huts vary in size, but the most elaborate feature a roof of grass and reeds, reaching almost to the bottom of the structure, and supported by a frame of fine branches. The San often have several small huts with different functions (cooking, sleeping, etc.). A reed fence protects these small encampments from wildlife. The same idea of protection is found among the Ovambo, who surround their villages with palisade-like fences made of large reed poles. Here again, each hut has a specific function. Circular in shape, these huts are made of mud bricks covered with cob, while a wooden framework supports a conical roof. In some villages, these traditional huts are also built alongside new constructions in cement and corrugated iron. The focal point of the village is the kraal or cattle pen. This is also the case in Himba villages, where all the huts are arranged in a circle around the kraal, a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Among the Himba, it's the women who build the houses, which can be recognized by their conical roofs. Most often thatched, more modern elements such as plastic sheeting are sometimes added to improve watertightness. The roof is supported by a wooden structure, while the walls are made of cob blending sand, mud and manure. Examples of this type of housing can be seen in the village of Kamanjab or in the north-west of the country in the former Kaokoland. The Nama, on the other hand, have developed a beehive-like habitat, again demonstrating the architectural properties of local materials. The frame of these huts is made of hand-bent wood, while the covering is made of braided reed mats. Reed is renowned for its insulating and absorbent properties, making it an ideal ally in these hostile climates. It is this age-old vernacular architecture that gives the country its identity. Some have understood this and are developing initiatives to help visitors discover it, such as the Tsumeb open-air museum, which offers a broad panorama of native habitat, or the Ongula Village Homestead Lodge. Established in 2011, the latter's mission is to introduce tourists to the Ovambo way of life. You're sure to appreciate the colorful huts and modern comforts!
Colonial heritage
The impact of the German presence in Namibia is inversely proportional to its duration. In just thirty years, the Germans left a lasting mark on the country, particularly in terms of architecture. First a protectorate, then a colony, Namibia was the figurehead of the Deutsch-Südwestafrika, a small empire at the end of the world to which settlers and missionaries flocked from 1890 onwards. The Germans wanted to transpose their Germanic way of life to African soil... which explains why many houses and buildings were prefabricated in Germany and then transported to Namibia, like the Lutheran church in Walvis Bay, built in Hamburg. These churches are the great symbols of the colonial presence, so it's easy to understand why they are located in the heart of towns, or, on the contrary, in more isolated positions, generally on rocky promontories overlooking urban areas, like ramparts of faith. Note the light color of the walls, enhanced by the white of the frames, doors and windows, as well as the high gables and general sobriety. The most representative of this style is the Felsenkirche in Lüderitz. Named after its founder, Adolf Lüderitz, the town is a compendium of Germanic architecture. Here, you'll find opulent, multi-storey villas, often half-timbered, with high-gabled walls, tinted white or light colors enhanced by a red roof, and facades often adorned with bow-windows and loggia-like balconies. In the town center, the sandy streets (only the main street is paved!) are lined with single-storey or one-storey houses, often brightly colored, whose alignment offers a surprising play of perspective between sharp and rounded gables. Some of these buildings combine Baroque, Classical and even Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau) lines. Swakopmund, with its baroque Hohenzollern Building, long wooden jetty, half-timbered seaside houses and rows of colorful houses, has a quaint and unusual charm. The region's mining heritage also bears witness to this colonization. Tsumeb is one of the country's most important mining towns... but it's the ghost town of Kolmanskop that is its most unusual representative. Completely invaded by sand, this town was one of the most prosperous and modern in 1908: factories, shops, a hospital, a power station and even a theater and casino... a little industrial Germany in the heart of Africa! The city of Windhoek also boasts some astonishing reminders of this colonization, including two examples of Catholic churches in resolutely European styles. The brick-built Christ Church is neo-Gothic, while St. Mary's Cathedral is neo-Romanesque. The city is also home to the Tintenpalast, the former governor's residence, which was once surrounded by superb gardens. These were clearly a symbol of wealth and prosperity in a largely desert country. Windhoek's former Liebig House, nicknamed "the ghost house", was once surrounded by vast gardens with fountains... but today these richly painted walls have given way to graffiti. In 1948, a South-East African Monuments Commission was set up, but most of its members were former German settlers... who chose to classify mainly German buildings, making it difficult for the Namibian people to take ownership of their past and history, especially as the German-speaking population is still very present and active. The controversy surrounding the removal of Windhoek's equestrian statue, or Reiterdenkmal, glorifying the first German settlers, is a case in point. After the Germans, it was the turn of the South Africans to impose their standards, in particular that of apartheid and its segregated urbanism. The country's townships are the legacy of this policy of separation between peoples. Described as a colorful and lively district, Katutura township is not at all appreciated by its inhabitants, and its name means "place where you don't want to live". This is what the Herero called it in the 1960s. Until then, the various ethnic groups had lived in relative harmony in the part of town known as Old Location, but they were forced to move to this new district, where they had to rent houses they could never own. Katutura was destined for the black population, Khomasdal was reserved for mixed-race people, while downtown Windhoek was reserved for whites. Despite the end of apartheid, these segregations still largely persist.
Contemporary architecture
Since the end of apartheid, Namibia's cities have been under ever-increasing demographic pressure. This has led to a proliferation of shantytowns and informal settlements, anarchic heaps of sheet metal on the outskirts of towns. At the same time, urban centers continue to expand, with office blocks and glass-and-concrete dwellings. However, unlike other African countries, Namibia has not (yet) entered the race for height, and has no skyscrapers redrawing the skyline of its cities. On the other hand, the country does have some unusual memorials. Obelisks, monumental statues, squares designed for parades, government or military buildings topped with eagles or heroic figures proudly brandishing Kalashnikovs... this very Soviet imagery is intriguing. North Korea is responsible for it. The latter has financed many projects in Namibia, using and abusing propaganda architecture, as seen in the monument to the heroes of independence, or even in the new Independence Museum, built in 2014. The UN has made several visits to Namibia to clarify the situation, but this relationship continues to embarrass the country. Fortunately, new projects are showing Namibia's other side, that of a country proud of its heritage and know-how, and turning to architecture as a link between tradition and innovation. The Twyfelfontein Visitor Centre received the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture in 2018 for its vernacular-inspired structure that blends harmoniously into the environment. It's a concern shared by many of the country's lodges, such as the Game Lodge, with its cement floors, plaster and natural red sand walls, and large picture windows opening onto the surrounding nature, or the Kalahari Anib Lodge, whose décor makes the most of local know-how, particularly that of weavers, as seen in the curtains and drapes made from karakul sheep's wool, for example. But the most astonishing of these lodges is undoubtedly the Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge. The geometric lines of its pavilions and main building, all glass, rock and steel, contrast harmoniously with the surrounding desert relief. The stated aim is to minimize the hotel's impact on the environment, while developing sustainable energy sources. An ecological and aesthetic success story... that will undoubtedly inspire others!
