BRAZZAVILLE
THE CONTRAST CITY REALISATION OF A STREET EQUIPMENT
AFRICAN ART AND ARCHITCETURE - Marie Alphonse Liwata
Pinto Helder / Bataille Emmanuelle
Introduction I. The dual city: Brazzaville Two Congos Two brazza II. Brazzaville , «the African» or «the Indigenous city» III. Brazzaville , «the European» IV. A Brazzaville street equipment
BRAZZAVILLE , THE CONTRAST CITY Brazzaville is a melting pot of culture, ethnics, beliefs, uses of life(... )but the city life gathers all the population anyway. In this project, we would like to underline the huge differences existing between the different parts of the city; try to understand the city organization and show how one equipment street can be adapt to the different uses in the different part of the city.
TWO CONGOS
THE DUAL CITY
Brazzaville is the capital of the Republic of Congo and takes place along the Congo river , which had a big effect in the Congo establishment and continue to play an important role in the city life .
This river bounds the border between Brazzaville and Kinshasa, which is the mirror city of brazzaville in the belgium part: the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Urban area of both cities is one of the largest in the word. There is more than 10 million of inhabitant , and this is the result of an demographic explosion, due to the depopulation of the various surrounding ethnic groups. This is the only place in the world where two capital cities take place on opposite banks of a river within sight of each over. So this is a dual area : between two cities, but moreover between the lot of different kind of population and ethnic groups , which live here together. That’s why the street space is interesting to study, to understand its functions in different parts of the city.
THE DUAL CITY
KINSHASA
TWO CONGOS
BRAZZAVILLE
TWO BRAZZA Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, an Franco-italian explorer found the city of Brazzaville, the 10 september 1880 by signing a treaty with King Makoko. At first, it’s a colonial city made by french people to make some business and bring european culture. So until the 1960’s the city was divided into European and African sections, the evolution of population increases in the same time but in very different way. Then in 1980, it became a «commune» city and divided into seven «arrondissements» ( districts ): Makélékélé, Bacongo, Poto Poto, Moungali, Ouenzé, Talangaï and Mfilou.
THE DUAL CITY
THE EVOLUTION AND CONSTITUTION OF DIFFERENT DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF CONTRAST
TWO BRAZZA
THE DUAL CITY
The european part developed lot of public equipments and administrations; in lac Tchad area were built houses for soldier, and houses for wood factories workers in La Plaine area . In parallel, severals ethnics groups settled down in the African part; in Bacongo they came from the south , and in Poto Poto more than 15th nationalities of ethnics groups from the north.
TWO BRAZZA African part
There is two brazzaville, which evolve in the same time, but with different scale, differents materials, different life... Thus uses of the street and needs differ but the same population lives in both area, so there exists commun characters.
THE DUAL CITY
European part
THE EUROPEAN CITY AND AFRICAN CITY IN THE 50s
THE DUAL CITY
In the french ocupation the city had 2 models of city that became from 2 distintint models of society. But with te independence the city unblocked this organization sistem, that did not have the main objective of a good integration and relationship of the 2 cultures. This was not anymore a good sistem. In our opinion, Brazzaville should never had being slipt. it sould integrated the distint cultures in one master plan. this plan sould be good for both. Had 2 slpit cities had had some adavantages in the past, as admisnistration and ecomical interest, but it had created a scarf on the city. As we can see in this both picutes from 50s, the diference between Africa city, and the European city. We believe, if we nowadays take the same pictures from the same spots, we still feel this huge diference. This scarf had been present in the past, is present nowadays and will be present for long years in the future.
TWO BRAZZA
DISTRIBUTION OF THE SERVICES OF BRAZZAVILLE
Brazzaville , «the African» or «the Indigenous city»
SITUATION OF THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS IN THE AFRICAN PART They are located around the city center , which is supposed to be the europan part build in a colonial way . So the african part has developped its self in an anarchistic way compared to European construction. But this sort of construction made by the local population‘s tools has a huge connection with the reality life of inhabitants. People build like they are living according to thier needs. Thus we would like to analize the brazzaville way of life.
USES OF STREET
INVESTTMENT PROGRESIVE DURING THE DAY
EXTENTION OF PRIVATE SPACE IN THE PUBLIC
Brazzaville , «the African» or «the Indigenous city»
THE STREET CULTURE
Usually someone begin to sell something, and then little by little, there is transforming on a big market in the middle of the street. In the end of the day, circulation could be really difficult, « gathering» spread and become events: music, dance , dinner.... Moreother in Poto Poto, this happening is usual; this district is famous to be first point of the Congo music and gather more than 15 nationalities. Thus the street is the theatre of many life activities in the city. We can guess that main needs of an equipment here are to be: - to shelter - adjustable - progressive during the day - could be use in different way: semi-private area, shops, space of meetings....
Evolution during the day
Brazzaville , «the African» or «the Indigenous city»
In the African culture, lot of daily activities take place outside, they use the street like an extention of their own house.
As all the «europe cities» in africa, Brazzaville developed in a real heterogenean way. As we can see on the maps, this city develop, on the first level, on the waterfront. this was the chose of the european to take adventage of the place in economical and social levels. With the evolution of the city and with the earning importance this net is expanded and get the configuration of a small city with the european feeling. On the boundaries of this main city, starts to appear a totaly diferent net sistem. If in one hand the city have a that is adpated to the landscape, this new net is a rigid sistem that lives on the boundaries of the main city. This city draw sistems , adding the social and economical diference existing between the natives and the new ocupants made that this city was divided in two. The european where the comercial trades, and all the city services where. And the african cities, where the natives had their houses
MAPS OF THE DEVELOPEEMENT OF BRAZZAVILLE AT 1911 AND 1933
Brazzaville , «the European»
EVOLUTION OF THE CITY LIKE EUROPEAN CITY
Variaty of the the boundaries of the street. It creates some parking places, tree places or a diferent sidewalk. This create a dynamism to the street.
STREET VIEW OF THE MAIN STREET
Brazzaville , ÂŤthe EuropeanÂť
In this section type is possible to observe the realationship between this covered passage and the street. This roofing in the sidewalk besides protecting from the sun and rain, also create to the ambulator diferent relationships.
diferent section and plan of the roofed sidewalk and the apropriation of the comerce in the diferent typologies.
Brazzaville , «the European»
PICTURES OF THE DIFERENT SITUATIONS ALONG THE STREET
With the previous analize,we have point out the mains objectives of our own proposition for an street equipment: - to shelter - adjustable - progressive during the day - could be use in different way: semi-private area, shops, space of meetings.... And obviously to can be adapt to the different part of the city. In this way, we have thinking about ÂŤmoduleÂť which can be put together to create a space.
A Brazzaville street equipment
FIRST IDEAS AND SKETCHES
A Brazzaville street equipment
The idea is to find a shape which can be used in different way. That’s why, we looking for some shape pretty similar at the Aalto vase.
A Brazzaville street equipment
SKETCHES
CUT
CREATE 5 MODULES
WHICH CAN BE LAUWER/ HIGHER.... it can be use as separation,partition, wall, table, sits.... it can be put in a vertical or horizontal way... with its different way of uses and its possibility of combination, street users are able to build them self what kind of equipment they need. DEVELOPMENT OF SOLUTIONS AND POSSIBLE COMBINATIONS
A Brazzaville street equipment
BASIC SHAPE
First Proposal of combination
SELLERS MARKET
In vertical way, with one medium and one higher partitions, it creates an urban place for urban sellers in the city center which can also takes place inside the covered passage.
Incrustation in European Part
A Brazzaville street equipment
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Second Proposal of combination
SHELTER
The horizontal addition of three elements designs a shelter to get shade in the street.
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Incrustation in European Part
A Brazzaville street equipment
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Third Proposal of combination
OUTSIDE KITCHEN
This association creates a space to gather a breakfast, lunch , dinner... The outside cooking is a part of the traditionnal african culture.
Incrustation in African Part
A Brazzaville street equipment
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Fourth Proposal of combination
PARTY AREA
The free combination gives possibility to build border of new space in the street area. Thus it can become extention of the house in a commun space.
Incrustation in African Part
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As a conclusion, we are able to said that: at first we aim at work on a commun equipment for the different part of the city. But in this way, we have finnaly work also on the boundaries in the street area.
A Brazzaville street equipment
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