As we continue to debate the responsibilities of the architect and begin to acknowledge the collaborative network in which the architect works, we should also recognize figures like those vital master-builders in the “Arab City” of Tunis — trained at a time when no formal architectural school existed — who were conveniently erased, their contribution to the project of modernity denied just as the modern nation of Tunisia was forming. In 1956, six years after the completion of Lycée Carthage, Tunisia gained independence, which opened the door for a new wave of international architects — including Marmey and Zerhfuss – who were commissioned to envision and build the new nation. Once more, the “periphery” sustained European modernists’ architectural experiments and adventures, while the contributions of its native peoples were written out of history.
One can’t help but wonder about the unseen native architects and master-builders. What were their names, how did they learn and develop their craft, where did they come from, what techniques and knowledge did they carry with them, how did they reinvent their tools to satisfy emerging needs, how did they communicate and negotiate with the European architects? In other words, what was the story of their encounter with the “project of modernity”? In rendering these “co-authors” invisible, the global history of modern architecture — including debates on the role of the author — is still incomplete, if not also deeply deceptive.
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