In a press release, the Council of the Order of Architects of Senegal expresses its deep concern about the “chaotic” state of town planning in Dakar. The Senegalese capital, described as “urban chaos”, suffers from a lack of strategic and aesthetic planning, according to the council. The latter deplores the absence of measures to structure the city “in line with its demographics and its way of life”, leaving the population “left to its own devices” and contributing to a “monstrous ugliness” of the urban environment.
Architects do not hesitate to blame both the inaction of professionals in the sector and the lack of rigor of public authorities. Dakar is now “a poorly ordered patchwork” where buildings are built “in crazy anarchy”, often to replace historic buildings, such as the Dantec maternity ward, whose remarkable architecture was destroyed without any notable reaction. The Council points out the absence of initiatives to preserve the city’s emblematic architectural works and notes that “the most beautiful architecture is falling into ruin”, silent witnesses of this urban drift.
Through its manifesto, the Order also deplores the proliferation of “so-called architects” trained in “pseudo architecture schools” who invade the sector, taking advantage of “the ignorance of a large part of the population and even from the authorities.” For the Council, the architect is above all an urban regulator, essential to prevent a city from becoming “a body without a soul”.
The press release is particularly critical of the new town of Diamniadio, designed “without consultation of architectural professionals”. The Council thus notes the importance of identity and culture in architecture, essential elements according to them to “re-enchant Dakar”. They believe that urban planning should not be “a simple market”, dominated by uncontrolled public-private partnerships, but an art capable of reflecting the “cultural and historical identity” of the nation.
This position comes as the Council prepares to launch several initiatives to restore Dakar and the cities of Senegal to their former architectural splendor. The manifesto states that: “We must develop a new policy for the promotion of architecture from a cultural, artistic, aesthetic and social point of view.” To this end, the Order announces an exhibition at the headquarters of the Council to introduce the Grand Prix de l’architecture de Dakar and the sub-region, with the ambition of uniting around an architecture respectful of national identity.
In this perspective, the Council invites artists to participate in the “Ndêp de l’architecture”, a project aimed at creating a “new virtuous and healthy city, better proportioned and in adequate line with our identity and our history”. Another major initiative will be the “BAKU” exhibition, scheduled for November 2024 as part of the Dakar biennial, which aims to claim a cultural architectural identity for the city.
Historic buildings that have disappeared, such as Sandaga and the maternity ward of the Aristide Le Dantec hospital, will be highlighted through hyper-realistic works of art, in order to “preserve their immemorial images”. The Council thus hopes to make its anger and its call for better preservation of Senegalese architectural heritage heard. “We must question the ethics of architects, point out what is not working, take stock of policies and our missions, to project ourselves into the future by offering all the cities of Senegal better prospects in the architectural field” , invites the manifesto.
