A Study of the Aguda (Afro-Brazilians) Architectural style in Benin and its influence in the urban morphology of Porto-Novo

It is frequently impossible to draw a direct connection between the horrifying 18th-century transatlantic slave trade, in which millions of Africans were forcefully transported and sold into slavery in Latin America, and architecture or place-making, particularly when considering African contexts. However, the contribution to the socioeconomic development and creation of a new building style known as Aguda, or Afro Brazilian architecture, in Benin, where many of the formerly enslaved peoples who relocated back and settled after the abolition of slavery in Brazil, presents an interesting example of architectural heritage with rich meaning and value. This essay will critically examine Benin’s Aguda architecture design processes via the lenses of history, socioeconomics, the environment, with a focus on comprehending the characteristics of architectural buildings at the urban scale and their influence on Porto-Novo, the country’s capital. The typology of this architectural style, its relationship to collective memories, and the tangible components that enshrine social value and significance will be scrutinized via examination of both its African and Brazilian influences. Some of its unique aesthetic decorative motifs and their relation to mythical African meanings that can be found in African masks, the buildings unique references to both the African Yoruba place making typologies and that of the Bahia’s architectural references in Brazil will be analyzed. Aguda architecture also offers fascinating insights into how architecture can be a tool for both placemaking and the creation of new meaning through the use of practical tools, means and methods, consideration of the environmental conditions of the tropical climate, and negotiation of the sociopolitical realities that shape our building practices. The fast urbanization of Porto-Novo, material degradation of these buildings, lack of investment, effects of climate change induced weather events and other effects are putting these historic buildings in danger of disappearing. This essay is a part of an ongoing digital documentation and archiving of these architectural heritage structures as a preservation effort.