ANOSIKE, CHUKWUDUBEM ODENIGWE STANLEY B.SC. (ARCH) A.B.U

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE, FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN,

AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIAA

A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE POST GRADUATE SCHOOL AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE (M.SC. ARCH)

SEPTEMBER, 1999.

IKENGA CULTURAL CENTRE

A CASE STUDY OF IGBO TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE

BY

ABSTRACT

The decline in the respect for culture due to the blind embrace of

westernism and the ghost of intellectual dependency has continued to haunt the whole

gamut of African Academia, living little or no space for the preservance of our culture,

values, traditions and norms. This attitude seems to lower the integrity, dignity and the

quality of our people as it made our culture and way of life inferior to that of the western

world.

To seek the truth in the context of our focus, a systematic search for facts

and non-influenced scientific investigation should be conducted to at least enlighten our

people on the rich and abundant cultural inheritance that is inherent in Africa which we

are part.

Nigerians have developed many socio-cultural activities geared towards

upholding their culture, values, traditions and norms of her people at large. These

activities are vital for both the socio-cultural and socio-political identification and

development of the people.

Today, architecture is recognised as satisfying tremendously the

psychological as Well as the cultural aspirations of man. It is seen as the symbol of a

people's culture and an indication of both their level of civilization and technological

heights.

In the quest to resolve and preserve in totality, the culture of our people,

the thesis design is thus to provide an ideal architectural solution - a centre for

performance and projection of the culture of the Igbos (Ndi-lgbo). The cultural centre

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thus becomes an idea of how architecture could help promote and develop the culture

of the Igbos while still striking a balance of awareness of the Igbo culture to it's

contemporaries.

This design thesis has been executed in two major parts viz:

i The thesis report and

ii • The architectural design Proposal

It is a documentation of the researches and studies done to equip the

author analyse, synthesize and propose an ideal or architecturally workable cultural

centre for the promotion and preservation of Igbo culture to be located at Akwa.

The architectural design proposal invariably is the up-shoot of thoroughly

synthesised thesis report, that is the thesis report is prerequisite to the architectural

design proposal.

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