Background to the Theme

The historiography of 20th-century modernism has historically marginalized the Global South, frequently framing Africa’s modern heritage as derivative, or strictly a product of exogenous colonial and post-colonial interventions (Le Roux, 2003; Uduku, 2006). For our inaugural issue, we turn our attention to a critically under-theorized and rapidly disappearing subset of the continent’s history: the Modern Heritage of Africa.

The material and socio-cultural realities of this heritage are vast and complex, ranging from the Afro-Brazilian typologies of West Africa and the brutalist university campuses of the independence era (Herz et al., 2015), to colonial railway networks, early industrial mining towns, and the mid-century cinemas and radio stations that gave birth to new urban cultures. Currently, mainstream heritage discourse often struggles to adequately conserve or interpret these sites, largely due to an over-reliance on Eurocentric conservation frameworks, such as the Venice Charter, which traditionally prioritize static material authenticity.

In response, and guided by the decentering mandate of the Cape Town Document on Modern Heritage (2022) alongside the recently adopted Nairobi Outcome on Heritage and Authenticity (2025), this issue argues that preserving the memory of these sites requires a profound epistemological shift. The Cape Town Document underscores the imperative to untether the concept of the “modern” from its Eurocentric origins, advocating for equitable, expanded definitions that account for plural modernities and multiple narratives. Complementing this, the Nairobi framework establishes that African heritage is dynamic, community-centered, and intricately links the tangible with the intangible. Consequently, we must re-examine these contentious structures not as inert, fossilized relics, but as active sites of socio-spatial negotiation whose authenticity is continuously evolving.

The “Nsibidi” Approach

We challenge the prevailing notion that “Modern” heritage is strictly a Western phenomenon or a direct import. Contributors from across disciplines: history, anthropology, architecture, urban studies, and cultural heritage are invited to analyze these sites critically through the lens of African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS), the Cape Town Document, and the pluralistic framework of the Nairobi Outcome.

We ask scholars and practitioners to consider questions such as:

• How do we interpret the “authenticity” and integrity of modernist structures when their spatial meaning and utility have been entirely reimagined by local communities?
• How do modernist structures and infrastructural networks interface with the spiritual geography and traditional land-use practices of their contexts?
• How have communities indigenized colonial spaces and technologies through ritual, informal urbanism, or adaptive reuse?
• What do oral histories and archival research reveal about the indigenous labor, vernacular craftsmanship, and lived experiences that built and sustained these modern spaces?

“When the music changes, so does the dance.” — Hausa Proverb

In the spirit of this proverb, we seek to understand how African heritage practice dances with modernity, adapting to and transforming the physical and cultural remnants of the 20th century.

Sub-Themes

We welcome original research articles, case studies, conservation reports, and critical essays that engage with the following sub-themes:

• Evolving Authenticities & Decentered Modernities: Applying the Cape Town Document and the Nairobi Outcome to the preservation, reconceptualization, and interpretation of 20th-century built heritage.
• Architectural & Spatial Realities: Critical assessments of “Tropical Modernism,” civic monuments, and the indigenization of 20th-century architecture.
• Infrastructural Memory: The social and cultural histories of colonial railways, ports, industrial sites, and segregationist urban masterplans.
• Sites of Cultural Production: The legacy and preservation of mid-century cinemas, radio stations, printing presses, and post-independence cultural hubs.
• Difficult Heritage: Managing, interpreting, and decolonizing sites associated with pain, apartheid, or colonial extraction.
• Intangible Modernities & Oral History: Documenting the voices, labor narratives, and newly forged urban traditions associated with 20th-century modernization.

Language Policy

Nsibidi is committed to epistemic justice and encourages the use of indigenous languages for key theoretical, spatial, and cultural concepts. Terms without direct English equivalents should be retained in their original language and explained contextually within the text.

Submission Guidelines

All submissions will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process. We encourage submissions from academic researchers, heritage practitioners, and spatial designers.

• Abstract Submission: Please submit an abstract (approx. 250–300 words) outlining your proposed paper, methodology, and relevance to the theme, along with a brief author bio.
• Final Paper: Accepted abstracts will be invited to submit full manuscripts. Manuscripts should be formatted according to the journal’s style guide (provided upon abstract acceptance) and stripped of all identifying information to ensure a blind review. High-resolution archival photographs, maps, and diagrams are highly encouraged.

Important Dates

• Abstract Submission Deadline: May 15, 2026
• Notification of Acceptance: June 1, 2026
• Final Paper Submission Deadline: August 15, 2026

Contact & Inquiries

Please send all abstracts, full manuscript submissions, and inquiries to the editorial team at:

journal@nsibidi.institute

References

• Folkers, A. (2010). Modern architecture in Africa. Springer.
• Herz, M., Frei, I., Hunt, M., & Ritz, C. (Eds.). (2015). African modernism: The architecture of independence. Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Zambia. Park Books.
• Le Roux, H. (2003). The networks of tropical architecture. The Journal of Architecture, 8(3), 337–354.
• MoHoA (Modern Heritage of Africa). (2022). The Cape Town Document on Modern Heritage. University of Cape Town / UCL.
• Ndlovu, S. (2014). African heritage and the limits of traditional conservation charters. Journal of Heritage Stewardship, 11(2), 45–62.
• Uduku, O. (2006). Modernist architecture and ‘the tropical’ in West Africa: The tropical architecture movement in West Africa, 1948–1970. Habitat International, 30(3), 396–411.
• UNESCO & African World Heritage Fund. (2025). The Nairobi Outcome on Heritage and Authenticity. International Conference on Cultural Heritage in Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.

Contact Email

journal@nsibidi.institute

URL

http://journal.nsibidi.institute