Protest has always been a powerful tool for creating change, and public spaces provide a platform for social engagement in societies. As part of the International Day of Democracy, we examine Africa, its series of emerging protests in the past year, and how citizens in various countries question political justice, demand better living standards from their government, and interrogate their nation’s sovereignty. With demonstrations ranging from organized large-scale marches to smaller spontaneous outbursts, residents of these countries have explored public spaces in symbolic and significant ways to amplify their voices. These spaces include public squares with cultural and historical meaning, sites of political buildings, or makeshift protest areas such as roads and open areas. Through this, African cities show how people make these spaces their own and how the power of their conglomeration cannot be ignored in unwrapping the democratic essence of public spaces.
Addis Ababa: The Latest Architecture and News
Lideta Market / Vilalta Studio
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Architects: Vilalta Studio
- Area: 14200 m²
- Year: 2016
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Manufacturers: AE3000, MP Ascensores, Yibel Industrial, PLC
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Professionals: K2N Engineering
United Bank of Addis Ababa Proposal / Söhne & Partner Architects + BET Architects
Designed by Söhne & Partner Architects + BET Architects, their proposal for the
National Stadium and Sports Village / LAVA
LAVA, the Laboratory for Visionary Architecture, and Designsport collaborated with local Ethiopian firm JDAW to win the international architecture competition for a national stadium and sports village, held by the Federal Sport Commission, Ethiopia. Now, football and athletics-loving Ethiopians will have a new FIFA and Olympic-standard 60,000 seat stadium in Addis Ababa thanks to a design that combines local identity with new technology. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Embassy Ethiopia / Bjarne Mastenbroek and Dick Van Gameren
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Architects: Bjarne Mastenbroek and Dick Van Gameren
- Year: 2005
Lideta Mercato / Vilalta Architects
Vilalta Architects unveils the design of a project of a multistory market, Lideta Mercato, in Ethiopia’s capital city Addis Ababa. This project was the result of a winning entry of a pre-qualified competition that is planned to start construction in May 2011.
More on this project after the break.