Tropical Modernism Architecture and Independence

Pioneering and sometimes problematic Tropical Modernism is an essential subject for fans of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus

Emerging in the death throes of colonial rule, the story of Tropical Modernism is one of politics and power, decolonization and defiance. Its leading proponents, British architects Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry, adapted a utopian Bauhaus-derived Modernist aesthetic to hot and humid conditions. After Independence, Tropical Modernism was championed by leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru and Kwame Nkrumah as a symbol of freedom, progressiveness and internationalism in monumental projects such as Chandigarh in Punjab planned by Le Corbusier and Black Star Square in Accra designed by Victor Adegbite. Scrutinizing the colonial narratives surrounding Tropical Modernism, and foregrounding the experience of African and Indian practitioners, this book reassesses an architectural style which has increasing relevance in today’s changing climate.

Christopher Turner is Keeper of Art, Architecture, Photography and Design at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London