BOOK LAUNCH | ‘The Architecture of Peter Rich: Conversations with Africa’ by Jonathan Noble.
Written by Danijela Cook
Internationally renowned, Peter Rich’s career represents a lifelong attempt to find a contemporary, yet uniquely African mode of design. This book follows the chronology of his work which emerges from a fascination with African tribal settlements, including his documentation, publication, and exhibition of Ndebele art and architecture, and his friendship with sculptor Jackson Hlungwani. It explores what Rich calls ‘African Space Making’ and its forms of complex symmetry; various collaborative community oriented designs of the Apartheid and post-Apartheid period, especially Mandela’s Yard in Alexandra township; and finally, his more recent timbrel vaulted structures, constructed from low-tech hand-pressed soil tiles derived from his highly innovative and award winning work at Mapungubwe. The book shows how Rich combines African influences with an environmental awareness aligned to Modernist principles.
On the 1st of April 2023, the Blue House had the pleasure of hosting the launch of Jonathan Noble’s book, The Architecture of Peter Rich: Conversations with Africa. Having been published in 2020 and subsequently interrupted by the pandemic, it was delightful to finally witness the author who was joined by Peter Rich himself and journalist Graham Wood, in front of a full house celebrating this wonderful piece of work. The Architecture of Peter Rich: Conversations with Africa is the product of five years of dedicated research and over twenty hours of direct interviews. The book highlights the mode in which Peter Rich combines architecture, evocative drawing styles, cultural engagements and anthropological thinking within his legendary practice.
The comprehensive structure of Noble’s narrative paired with Barry Goldman’s captivating photography invites readers across all disciplines to dive into the mind of Peter Rich. He allows the reader to understand how Rich thinks creatively about space, especially with regards to Rich’s expertise of ‘African space making’. The conversation, hosted by Graham Wood, spanned from ruminations Rich’s dedicated studies of traditional Ndebele structures to the acknowledgement of Rich’s impactful community engagement and social responsibility projects – such as the Alexandra Heritage Centre. Enticing suggestions on how one can begin ‘constructing imagination’ by learning how to symbolically interpret all that we see fascinated an audience that ranged from fellow practitioners to eager students to simple architectural enthusiasts.
Click below to view the Jonathan Noble’s presentation on the book: