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The architecture of Lagos is an eclectic mix of different types, styles and periods. Buildings range from traditional vernacular architecture to tropical modern architecture or a mixture. The oldest European-styled buildings date back to the 17th century. Elements of Portuguese architecture introduced by returnee ex-slaves from Brazil and the Caribbean, although present all over the city, predominates in places like: Lagos Island, Surulere and Yaba Municipalities. [1] [2] [3] Colonial-styled architecture flourished during the Lagos Colony. The Lagos skyline is a mixture of modern high rise buildings, skyscrapers, dilapidated buildings and slums. [4] [5] [6] Lagos has the tallest skyline in Nigeria. Skyscraper construction commenced in the 1960s. [7] Several office and mixed-use buildings have been built by international developers and private equity firms. Modern buildings and structures have been a continuous development until date. [8] [9] [10]
The pre-colonial architecture of the ancient City of "Eko" ('Warcamp') as Lagos was initially known by its Bini and then Awori colonists was largely of the type that characterised the Yoruba namely: Rectangular houses with central inner court-yards, and in well-planned areas, pot-sherd tiled pavements. [11] The palace of the king slightly differed in style with carved-pillars and a series of inter-connected impluvia present. Earlier Benin influence was evident based on the persistence in coastal areas of round, hip-roofed homes. Both sets of colonists extensively utilized fractals in their architecture as was the widespread practice in Africa at the time. [12]
The advent of colonialism in the 1800s was one of the key factors in the drastic, irreversible alteration of 'indigenous' Lagosian architecture. The desire of the English Crown for inexpensive colonialism in humid, tropical West Africa, coupled with the construction of the C.M.S building in Badagry by European missionaries set the precedent for the mass importation of cheap building materials, in particular: Cement, and corrugated iron sheeting. These two materials continue to dominate the building industry to the present day. From the British standpoint, adobe structures were out of the question, so standard colonial-issue tropical houses characterized by deep verandahs, overhanging eaves and classical forms were introduced particularly in planned European quarters like the central areas of Yaba, Surulere and Lagos island. This inevitably led to emulation by the resident natives who immediately took to the foreign building materials to indicate their progressiveness. [11] The other significant factor that impacted upon Lagos's architectural landscape was the slave abolition act, passed on 25 May 1807, which saw the repatriation of thousands of Yoruba ex-slaves and freemen (known as Agudas from Cuba or Saros from Brazil) from all over the Americas but particularly Brazil, and Cuba to the country of their roots. Most of these were skilled artisans and masons and brought with them a much grander style of architecture: Brazilian Baroque architecture. This style incorporated mostly Portuguese architecture with a few trademark motifs of their own like floral motifs and chunky concrete columns. [13] [ better source needed ] The refinement of Brazilian Baroque quickly found it acceptance among the local elite who before long, made Afro-Brazilian architects much in demand. Many of these buildings have since been pulled down to make room for newer building projects and calls for conservation have not been heeded by authorities. [14] Examples of Brazilian Baroque include Ilojo Bar, Lagos island, which was designed in 1856 by Afro-Brazilian architect Victor Olaiya and Shitta-Bey mosque with its Ottoman influences by João Baptista Da Costa in 1894. These homes are now mostly historical museums.
Post-colonial architecture in Lagos is a preponderance of imported motifs, regional trendism, and differing architectural ideals. The trendy nature of Lagosians has resulted in the accumulation of different building styles over the years. Of these, the most dominant strain is the post-modernist style. According to Pruncal-Ogunsote; "It usually explores simple geometrical forms but often with exposed parapet walls. Characteristic is the use of concrete external walls supplemented by concrete, steel or aluminum sun shading devices (Senate Building at ABU Zaria, Management House in Lagos, CSS Bookshop House in Lagos). This style is well represented by the structures created by architects of the older generation who were trained abroad in modern ideas such as Low-trop buildings for the sprawling masses, although the influential John Godwin (GHK Architects), was a notable exception to this."
In recent years, however, Afromodernism as a movement has been gaining traction particularly amongst the younger generation of architects and it is not unusual in the present day to stumble across seemingly post-modernist architecture with an African twist a la Sterling Bank, Jakande.
Lagos, or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimate of 21 million, it is the largest city in Nigeria, and the most populous urban area on the African continent. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until the government's December 1991 decision to move their capital to Abuja in the centre of the country. Lagos is a major African financial centre and is the economic hub of Lagos State and Nigeria at large. The city has a significant influence on commerce, entertainment, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, and fashion in Africa. Lagos is also among the top ten of the world's fastest-growing cities and urban areas. A megacity, it has the fourth-highest GDP in Africa, and houses one of the largest and busiest seaports on the continent. Due to the large urban population and port traffic volumes, Lagos is classified as a Medium-Port Megacity.
Lagos State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 Nigerian states, it is the second most populous state but the smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin for 10 km, Lagos State borders Ogun State to the north for about 283 km, making it the only Nigerian state to border only one other state. Named for the city of Lagos—the most populous city in Africa—the state was formed from the Western Region and the former Federal Capital Territory on 27 May 1967.
Lagos Island is the principal and central Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos, Nigeria. It was the capital of Lagos State until 1957. It is part of the Lagos Division. As of the preliminary 2006 Nigerian census, the LGA had a population of 209,437 within an area of just 8.7 km2. The LGA only covers the western half of Lagos Island; the eastern half is simply referred to as Lagos Island East LCDA.
Olayinka Herbert Samuel Heelas Badmus Macaulay was a Nigerian nationalist, politician, surveyor, engineer, architect, journalist, and musician. Macaulay is considered by many as founder of Nigerian nationalism.
Lagos is the largest city of the West-African country of Nigeria, and its former capital; it is the largest city in Africa in terms of population with about 15.3 million people. It is also the 4th largest economy in Africa.
Surulere is a local government area located on the mainland in Lagos State, Nigeria. It has an area of 23 km2 (8.9 sq mi). At the 2006 census, there were 503,975 inhabitants, with a population density of 21,864 inhabitants per square kilometer. The local government area is bordered by Yaba, Mushin and Ebute-Metta.
Sir Kofoworola Adekunle "Kofo" Abayomi, KBE was a Nigerian politician who was one of the founders of the nationalist group, the Nigerian Youth Movement, in 1934 and went on to have a distinguished public service career. His last major public assignment was as chairman of the Lagos Executive Development Board from 1958 until 1966.
Lagos Colony was a British colonial possession centred on the port of Lagos in what is now southern Nigeria. Lagos was annexed on 6 August 1861 under the threat of force by Commander Beddingfield of HMS Prometheus who was accompanied by the Acting British Consul, William McCoskry. Oba Dosunmu of Lagos resisted the cession for 11 days while facing the threat of violence on Lagos and its people, but capitulated and signed the Lagos Treaty of Cession. Lagos was declared a colony on 5 March 1862. By 1872, Lagos was a cosmopolitan trading centre with a population over 60,000. In the aftermath of prolonged wars between the mainland Yoruba states, the colony established a protectorate over most of Yorubaland between 1890 and 1897. The protectorate was incorporated into the new Southern Nigeria Protectorate in February 1906, and Lagos became the capital of the Protectorate of Nigeria in January 1914. Since then, Lagos has grown to become the largest city in West Africa, with an estimated metropolitan population of over 9,000,000 as of 2011.
Brazilians in Nigeria, Amaros or Agudas consist of the descendants of freed Afro-Brazilian slaves who left Brazil and settled in Benin, Togo and Nigeria. The term Brazilians in Nigeria can also otherwise refer to first generation expatriates from Brazil.
The Saro, or Nigerian Creoles of the 19th and early 20th centuries, were Africans that were emancipated and initially resettled in Freetown, Sierra Leone by the Royal Navy, which, with the West Africa Squadron, enforced the abolition of the international slave trade after the British Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act 1807. Those freedmen who migrated back to Nigeria from Sierra Leone, over several generations starting from the 1830s, became known locally as Saro(elided form of Sierra Leone, from the Yoruba sàró). Consequently, the Saro are culturally descended from Sierra Leone Creoles, with ancestral roots to the Yoruba people of Nigeria.
William John Gilbert Godwin OBE and Gillian Hopwood were British architects, based in Nigeria.
Tinubu Square, formerly Independence Square, is an open space landmark located in Broad Street, Lagos Island, Lagos State, Nigeria named after the Yoruba slave trader, merchant, and aristocrat Madam Efunroye Tinubu. It was formerly called Ita Tinubu before it was named Independence Square by leaders of the First Nigerian Republic after Nigerian independence and subsequently Tinubu Square.
Oluwole Olumuyiwa (1929–2000) was a Nigerian architect.
Chief Daniel Conrad Taiwo, alias Taiwo Olowo, was a trader, arms dealer, slave owner, political power broker, philanthropist and community leader in Colonial Lagos.
Mohammed Shitta-Bey, alias Olowo Pupa, was the first titled Seriki Musulumi of Lagos. He was a prominent Nigerian Muslim businessman, aristocrat and philanthropist who was involved in commerce across Lagos and the Niger-Delta region. He was also a patron of the Shitta-Bey Mosque in Lagos, and served as a leader in the Lagos Muslim community until his death. He is known to be one of the founding fathers of legitimate commerce in precolonial Nigeria; as at the time of his death he was the most prominent and wealthiest Muslim trader in West Africa.
Shitta-Bey Mosque is a mosque, religious learning centre and one of the oldest mosques in Nigeria. The mosque is located at Martins Ereko Street, Lagos Island, Lagos, Nigeria. It was established in 1892 and designated as National monument by Nigerian Commission for Museums and Monuments in 2013. The mosque, considered one of the most important historical legacies of Nigeria, Shitta-Bey Mosque was named after its founder Sierra Leonean-born Nigerian, Mohammed Shitta Bey, who was an aristocrat, philanthropist and businessman.
Alan Vaughan-Richards (1925–1989) was a British-Nigerian architect who was active in the post-colonial architecture industry of Nigeria. He engaged architects on the potential influence of African forms in architectural design through publication of the journal West Africa Builder and Architect.
Architecture of Nigeria was historically influenced by environmental conditions as well as social and cultural factors. The coming of missionaries and political changes brought about by colonialism precipitated a change in architectural style and utility of buildings. A Gothic revival style was adopted for early churches built in the colony of Lagos. A one or two-storey timber house building made with pre-fabricated material components and designed with the influence of classic antiquity styles served as mission house for the missionaries. Colonial residents working for the Public Works Department introduced a variant of neoclassical architecture to designs of government buildings and private residencies.
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic branch in Nigeria under the caliph in London. Members of the organization are predominantly from Western Nigeria.
Yoruba architecture describes the architectural styles of the Yoruba people of West Africa, dating back to approximately the 8th century. and lasted up to and beyond the colonial period beginning in the 19th century CE.
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