Building for “l'Authenticité”
Eugène Palumbo and the Architecture of Mobutu's Congo
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9331158 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Johan Lagae (0000-0002-7791-6477, Ghent University), Kim De Raedt (Ghent University) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 68 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 178-189 |
| Publication date | 2014-07-03 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Architectural Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1046-4883 • E-ISSN: 1531-314X |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10464883.2014.937235 |
| OpenAlex | W2054345325 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
In 1966, President Mobutu initiated his political doctrine of recours à l'authenticité in the Congo. Aimed at erasing all traces of Belgian colonialism, it not only led to interventions in social and political life but also found expression in a new state culture, embodied in art and architecture. We trace the impact of this doctrine in the work of Eugène Palumbo, an Italian architect who designed several iconic public buildings under Mobutu's reign. Palumbo's projects, we argue, highlight the tension of an architect seeking to develop an architectural language evoking both “authentic” Congolese culture and notions of progress and modernity
Archaeology · Colonialism · Doctrine · Environmental ethics · Modernity · Political science · Politics · Reign · Sociology · African history and culture studies · Architecture · History · Law · Philosophy
| Citations per year | 0.43 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2019 - 2026 (8) |
| Highly cited | No |