Africa’s Buildings

This book examines how African buildings were dismantled under colonial rule. From the nineteenth century onward, colonial officials and collectors removed architectural elements such as doors, columns, and tiles. These fragments were sent to museums in Europe and the United States. They were presented as decorative art rather than architecture. This reclassification erased their original function and concealed the violence of their removal. The loss damaged buildings and erased knowledge about African design, technology, and social life. Covering the entire continent, the book argues that architectural looting was widespread and systematic. It concludes by calling on museums to acknowledge this history and support repatriation and restitution of Africa’s architectural heritage

Abstract based on original source.