master thesis "the other side"
an architectural insight for the urban metamorphosis of an East-african city: the case of Zanzibar Town.
chalmers 2013 -2014
examiner: Maria Nyström
supervisor: Inger-Lise Syversen
http://tosmasterthesis.tumblr.com/
The aim of this master thesis is to develop a housing project in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It starts by constructing a theoretical foundation upon urban development around the world and progressively continues with field studies and an analysis of the historic, cultural and social urban landscape of the city of Zanzibar. Engaged along the process with the UNESCO heritage-based urban regeneration project (HUL), it finally concludes in a design proposal for housing in Ng’ambo (a part of Zanzibar town). Facing the difficulty that the city has to achieve, the delicate blend between preservation of cultural roots, innovation and new development we propose a design project that could initiate the introduction of a new architectural figure and process in the existing urban fabric integrating the current spatial, social, historical and cultural values and also considering the current expectations of the inhabitants.
The metropolitan development and regeneration of Zanzibar Town, the unique city of the archipelago of Zanzibar, Tanzania, is an ongoing process particularly visible since the past decade, threatening the balance between historical heritage in need of preservation and the inescapable and essential urban development; raising thus crucial issues for the future quality of urban life.
On the edges of the historical city center, Stone Town, enlisted as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, the original Ng’ambo, “the Other Side” in Swahili, part of which is considered as Buffer Zone, moults already under the action of private initiatives and absorbs with an astonishing ease these radical changes. The traditional one-storey houses pattern is rapidly being replaced by a multi-storey urban motif. Yet, the integration and preservation of the cultural identity in an area that has always deeply reflected the Swahili culture through its architecture and social features, is offently absent along the process.
Based on a four month fieldstudy, urban, architectural, social and cultural features were methodically observed and indexed leading to an exhaustive analysis of the spirit of Ng’ambo. In addition, relevant tools of participative methods were implemented during public events and a constant interaction with the inhabitants was daily priviledged.
On the backbone of this valuable background, this thesis aims to develop a housing project that could initiate the introduction of a new architectural figure and process in the existing urban fabric while respecting and preserving the values of this rich culture. Initiated by the Department of Urban and Rural Planning of Zanzibar and intended as a pilot project, the project has to be included in a larger perspective that will occur through the next years aiming to an Heritage-Based Urban Regeneration of Ng’ambo, a notion included in the Historical Urban Landscape approach (HUL) of UNESCO and underlining another approach for stakeholders to link heritage with the notion of development in historical cities. Indeed, the overall goal is not only to improve the living conditions in a specific plot but also to propose the creation of a paradigm of participatory design process delivering profitable outcome for building cities in complex context.
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