مختارات من عمارة العالم العربي 1914-2014 (ص 47)

غرض

عنوان

مختارات من عمارة العالم العربي 1914-2014 (ص 47)

المحتوى

Arab Maghreb
A Gentury of Architecture
in the Maghreb, a Retrospective,
1914-2014
Despite the diversity found within the five countries that make up the
Maghreb region with respect to recent history, political development,
as well as architectural production, some parallels can be drawn
between the architecture of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, especially
in the first half of the twentieth century. In contrast, Mauritania’s
and Libya's specific histories have created entirely different urban
development processes.
Morocco
Abderrahim Kassou
The development of architecture in Morocco in the twentieth cen-
tury can be understood through the trends found within five clearly
distinguished historical stages:
From the end of the nineteenth century until
the establishment of the French / Spanish
Protectorate in 1912
This historical stage is marked by two phenomena; firstly, the dras-
tic change undergone by Moroccan society with the introduction of
foreign trade, especially in coastal cities, and the subsequent arrival
of many European traders. This was in addition to many consulates
and rival diplomatic representation vying for the political dominance
of the country. Secondly, the introduction of new building technology
such as metallic structures, and brick vaulting had begun to leave its
mark in what remained a largely rural country, despite some impor-
tant cities (31 medinas could be referenced before the establishment
of the Protectorate). Modern forms of ports, customs offices, ware-
houses appeared at this time.
From 1910 until the 1940s
in 1912, Morocco signed the protectorate treaty with France and
Spain, thus making European domination over one of the last inde-
pendent African counties official. This domination was increasingly
visible in economic and military domains. On the urban level, this
period is marked by the establishment of a strong administration, next
to the traditional administration of the Makhzen, Notwithstanding
clear differences between the zone under French domination, that
under Spanish domination, and Tangier (a city under international
authority) the overalt structure was nevertheless the same: the
establishment of a representative of the capital, usually a military
official who has authority over the Pasha, the local representative of
the Sultan.
One of the main figures of this period is indisputably, Hubert Lyautey,
first Resident-General in Morocco in the French zone. Lyautey put in
place an ambitious policy of preservation of local culture, and crea-
tion of new modern cities. Lyautey had at his side many professionals,
some of whom came from the Musée Social de Paris. Consequently,
he used urban planners like Henri Prost who helped create the first
administration that dealt with issues of urbanism. Prost also from
1915 onwards made the first master plans of the country's main cities,
including Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, Meknés, and Marrakech. At the
same time, the creation of the Service des Beaux-Arts helped protect
ancient sites abutting these newly-built cities.
This was a period of construction frenzy ~ which was eventually
slowed by World War One — where architects, landscape profes-
sionals, engineers, master artisans (or m’allemin), and craftsmen
hailing from diverse origins (Spanish, Italian, French, Greek, Algerian,
Tunisian) came together.
The stylistic disputes of the time, found in major cities, were also
manifested locally; Eclecticism, Classical Rationalism, Art Nouveau,
Neo-Moorish style, and later on, Art Deco, Functionalism, and
Modern Rationalism. These were represented by the work of a gener-
ation of architects who helped bring to fruition the freedom to create
so characteristic of the new territories. A new kind of site-specific
architecture also appeared around the same time. Several architects
such as Marius Boyer, Auguste Cadet, Edmond Brion, Aldo Manassi,
Hippolyte Delaporte as well as others generated innovative projects
and showed important dynamism and vitality.
This period also witnessed a number of operations “adapted” to
the local population, such as the Habous compound in Casablanca
or the Diour Jamaa in Rabat, both designed and built by A. Laprade,
A. Cadet and 5, Brion, and begun in the 1920s. There were also a
number of workers’ compounds built close to industrial zones or in
mining areas, such as the Lafarge compound in Casablanca or the
OCP in Boujniba.
The development of the zone under Spanish authority was some-
what different, mainly because of the break in construction induced
by the Spanish Civil War. One can nonetheless note the construction
in the 1920s of a number of remarkable monuments in the larger
Northern cities such as Tetouan, Larache or Melilla.
From the 1940s until the 1970s
At the end of World War Two, and the symbolic landing of American
troops, one can notice a clear shift in architectural production across
Morocco. Not unlike the development of schools of thought and of
new styles, the achievements of the 1950s were modern, devoid of
decorative layers, and therefore very contemporaneous of their times.
The influence from beyond the Atlantic was clear, especially in the
cities of Casablanca or Port-Lyautey (now named Kenitra). The main
architects of the period were Jean Francois Zevaco, Elie Azagury,
Domenico Basciano, Alexandre Courtois, and Léonard Morandi
amongst others.
These years also witnessed new and distinctly modernist master
plans devised by Michel Ecochard and his team, who put the problem
of mass housing on center-stage. Indeed, the Protectorate’s last years
witnessed several collective housing projects for both Europeans and
Moroccans. At the same time the Ecochard grid was implemented
as a solution to the problem of slums. The trend slowed down after
Moroccan Independence in 1956, but the projects launched at the
beginning of the 1950s went on to develop and expand in the years
to come.
The Agadir earthquake of 1960 gave independent Morocco the
opportunity to lead its first large-scale project. it was principally
young modernist architects in Casablanca and Rabat who were
tasked with rebuilding the city, a chance they seized to express
themselves. This period's works consisted of space development and
public monuments by architects such as Mourad Benembarek, Elie
Azagury, Armand Amzalag, Henri Tastemain, Rafael Moretti, and Jean
Francois Zevaco.
The 1960s also witnessed the building of many brutalist monu-
ments in the country's large cities, which made a powerful statement.
The architectural production of the time was still very contemporane-
ous of what was being produced elsewhere in the world.
The end of the 1960s constituted the beginning of a transitional
period where many social mutations were taking place; principally,
the mass exodus of Moroccan Jews as well as of Europeans (who
were still somewhat present in the cities), The 1970s thus became
an exceptional time where the Moroccanization of the economy, and
the many social and political crises, limited growth, and caused archi-
tectural production to slow.
المغرب العربي
المغرب

هو جزء من

مختارات من عمارة العالم العربي 1914-2014

تاريخ

2014

المنشئ

جورج عربيد