Namibia is a country in western Africa sharing its border with Zambia, Botswana, and the Atlantic. With a population of 2.55 million and a large mining industry, the country’s economy steadily rose. Derived from the word ‘Namib’ for the oldest desert in the world, Namibia was known for its high dunes, national parks, wildlife, and scenic coasts – making it a popular tourist spot.
A Tale of Two Styles.
Like most African countries, Namibia too was a colonised district – an attribute that can be seen in the fusion of the architectural archetypes. The juxtaposition of architecture can be seen throughout the country, from the largest cities to the smallest villages. Colonised by Germany, Namibia was initially called German South West Africa. The German colony had riots, massacres, raids, and Nazi agendas. In 1904, in the “first genocide of the 20th century,” the Germans killed about 80 per cent of the locals. Some historians speculate that this genocide was the model for the Nazis in the Holocaust.
Namibia has 13 cities and 26 towns, most of which are urban settlements. The proximity of Namibia to an international airport and scenic routes makes it a popular tourist destination. It has a row of luxury hotels like Windhoek country club resort and international hotels, including the Hilton group of hotels. A country of inclusivity coming from the enslaved, filled with the desert and the ocean, lush fauna, and whale skeletons, the story of Namibia is two different tales, a lot like its architectural style.
The Vernacular Style.
The Himba village in North Namibia is one of the oldest villages in Africa and still keeps up with the local cultures and ancient traditions. Like their ancestors, the people of Himba, Namibia, live in the harshest conditions of the desert. The people from this Namibian village were nomads, and their livelihood revolved around cattle- hunting, herding, gathering, and moving seasonally to graze land as required. Their villages consist of simple huts made from tree branches, earthy mud, and cow dung made as a composite in the mopane-coated thatched roofs.
These styles were inspired to design climate-conscious and context-suitable designs for tourists in the areas around them. One such design is the Zanieer Hotel in Omaanda. This hotel in Namibia uses the concept of the vernacular architect with a twist of luxury and comfort. Declared as a boutique lodge, this stay is set in the heartland of the wildlife nature looking out into nature. Made of modernized thatch roofs and mud walls enclosing the most luxurious suites, the lodge integrates an element of the Namibian homeland for visitors.
These Namibian hotels popping up all over the country use traditional architecture for inspiration and are reviving the traditional style of architecture in a modern setting. These hotels were built along the lines of the Savannah desert using orthodox traditional sandbag construction. It created an aesthetically pleasing modelled surface on rounded walls. The final touch in these intricate designs came with the hand-finished thatched roofs. Along with these vernacular elements, these hotels in Namibia were the more luxe interiors of large bathtubs, fancy pools, watering holes, lounges, and restaurants looking out into the wildlife.
Most of these Hotels in Namibia also have indigenous artefacts, African antiques, and custom-made furnishings. Some of these pieces were commissioned by the local tribes and settlements to showcase the local art and history. Most of these ‘vernacular styled’ hotels around Namibia also used nature to elevate their design and heritage. The use of olive and bougainvillaea trees made the user feel a part of the famous African wildlife even despite being inside the hotel’s amenities. Lounges followed the concept of masculinity and tried to mimic the local African caves. The details of Namibian heritage even took to smaller things like embroidered curtains, pillowcases, and upholstery.
While some could say the hotels were culturally appropriating the heritage and rich history of Namibia, it could also be argued that the tourist economy and the people that come to Namibia to experience the culture have increased the country’s GDP by every passing year. The government has strategically played into this need to explore and has taken advantage of Namibia’s landscape to play to the need for experience in western leisure or charity works. In architecture, the investment of hoteliers into projects has doubled over the years, and the government has made a strong effort to focus its construction growth on sustainability and the protection of the natural fabric. This exposure to the first world has led the vibrant colours and intricate textiles to find their way to the biggest fashion houses and runways across America and Europe.
The German Colonial Style.
Namibia was a German colony for decades and got official independence as recently as 1980. Although the South African mandate that took over Namibia post-Germany, the architectural impact that Germany had was strong, and the trace of the design components is seen even today. These structures designed and constructed by the imperialists have made a lasting impression on Namibian architecture long after the colonist rule was abolished.
The Germans first came to Namibia in the 18th century, mostly under the guise of trade and documentation. The Germans quickly started having small fights and riots with the locals over the occupation of land and distribution of water – something vital in a desert. Germans bought up the mainland – a mission spread across Europe to expand their territories. As these territories grew across Namibia and more people from Germany migrated to Namibia, the latest infrastructure grew in construction, architecture, and design.
For the management of scarce water, the Germans constructed modern dams, embankments, boreholes, and wells. Railroads, post offices, military stations, and housing were then slowly going up in major cities of Namibia with very distinctive German architectural styles. Since Namibia did not have any clay bricks or timber for furniture, the Germans looked at locally sourced materials for their construction techniques but still modified it in an Imperial architecture typeface. Since even the clay bricks found around Namibia were of inferior quality, they stuck to sun-dried bricks in construction.
With the stark contrast in climate – lesser rain, hotter weather, and a limited budget the architects had to improvise while designing but still stay loyal to the German style. This drive of improvisation led to a new regional style of architecture combing Namibian materials featuring the Wilhelminian and Rundbogenstil style with a primitive focus on Verandahaus architecture. This was the ideation of verandahs being added to structures where architects added their version of the verandah to their structures, to cool down the building.
These structures and the addition of verandahs protected the mud-dried bricks from excessive heat and kept the overall temperature cool in the building cool. Along with these newer materials and passive cooling, design features the Germans added their European gothic elements like flared eaves, pyramid spires, and sloped roofs. These have been more distinctively seen in the post-genocide construction and government buildings, the first German settlements having a more rustic architectural style.
A lot of churches, statehouses, and official buildings were the epitome of German construction in Namibia, with their Neoclassical styles. Another German feature is their windows- with wrought iron and sliders that could allow the window to be opened – in houses for ventilation, and in public buildings for payments and exchanges. The churches were classical but with a twist of gothic elements and Victorian styles.
Conclusion.
Today, Namibian architecture has been modernised and has a typical standard style of the suburban and urban archetypes. However, it is to be noted that despite the dark history of the German regime, they haven’t destroyed their past. Almost all the German-built structures and statues uprighted to German invaders are still in place. This is to remind themselves of a terrible time in their history and reclaim their victory – The regional German style now belongs to the Namibians.
References:
Tribes Tailor made Travel. Visit a Himba Village. [online]. Available at: https://www.tribes.co.uk/experiences/himba-village-visit/#:~:text=The%20Himba%20of%20northern%20Namibia&text=They%20are%20pastoral%20nomads%2C%20whose,cow%20dung%20with%20thatched%20roofs. [Accessed date: 17 December 2022.].
Zannier Hotels. Zannier Hotels Omaanda. [online]. Available at: URL https://www.zannierhotels.com/omaanda/en/ [Accessed date: 17 December 2022].
Architecture Digest, USA. Discover Namibia’s Stunning Landscapes, Wildlife, and Architecture. [online]. . Available at: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/namibia-design-travel-guide URL [Accessed date: 17 December 2022].
“Namibia.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namibia. Accessed 17 December 2022.
Yo Air. Architectural Legacy of German Colonialism in Namibia. [online]. . Available at: https://www.yoair.com/blog/architectural-legacy-of-german-colonialism-in-namibia/ URL [Accessed date: 17 December 2022].
