Architecture without Architects
Introduction ‘Onitsha City architecture’ is a term coined from the prevalent culture of building without architects that involved mostly Onitsha based sole proprietors and business magnets and the pattern character and style of building stock produced within the period 1975-2000 and beyond in Onitsha City and its neighborhoods. This blog is intended to be a critique of this period and its ‘cut and paste architectural style’ The period 1975-2000 coincided roughly with the close of the Nigeria Biafra civil war. The Igbos never built on a large scale prior to the civil war since majority lived in urban centers thought t he nation. The few available accommodation served the families during their December holidays. The exponential growth of the Igbo population after the war and the realization of the fact that many that escaped the northern pogrom never wanted a repeat experience necessitated the large scaled individual building projects across the Onitsha Cityscape. Our Miss...