Deconstructing Iconic and Historicist State Buildings

Abstract

Representation of state architecture is directly controlled by the political power symbolizing the different state personalities and how they communicate it. Globally, colonial architecture was characterized by the commemoration of heroes of First and Second World Wars. In the greater part of Africa, state buildings and spaces were named in honour of knighted personalities coming out of those battles. Actually, the Europeans went as far as changing the names of ancient kingdoms and states. In the case of Zimbabwe, most of the star or historic buildings owned or controlled by the colonial government were named after leaders of the British-led Pioneer Column, under the famous Cecil John Rhodes in the late nineteenth century. At independence, in 1980, the new Zimbabwe government pursued a decolonization path of place (re)naming that memorialized and commemorated immortalized leaders of the struggle against colonialism including pan-African leaders who had provided both political and material support to the success of the struggle.