Perched
on a plateau that rises two kilometers
above the Red Sea, the Eritrean capital
of Asmara has one of the world’s highest
concentrations of early modern architecture.
Constructed primarily between 1936 and
1941 by Italian colonists under Fascist
rule and isolated during a 50-year conflict
with Ethiopia, the urban fabric of Asmara’s
city center represents a bold attempt
to create a utopian city based on modernist
planning and architectural ideals. Unconstrained
by the more conservative environment of
Europe, Asmara’s architects and engineers
borrowed from a wide range of building
styles including Novecento, Neo-classicism,
Neo-Baroque, Futurism, and, most predominantly,
Rationalism—a distinctly Italian interpretation
of the Modern International Style. The
fusion of European modernism with African
highland culture resulted in a unique
urban environment that has survived remarkably
intact.
Today, more than 400 extant buildings
remain from the Italian occupation period,
among them the Asmara Theater. Designed
in 1919 by renowned architect and engineer
Oduardo Cavagnari (1868–1920), the theater
was built as the city’s first performing
arts venue. With an eclectic mix of
styles, the theater’s interior is distinguished
by Art Nouveau-influenced frescoes.
Asmara is threatened by a host of development
pressures. Since Eritrean independence
in 1991, there have been increased public
and private demands to improve the urban
infrastructure and construct contemporary
buildings, which have compromised the
city’s built environment. Recognizing
the threat, the government established
the Cultural Assets Rehabilitation Project
(CARP) in 2000. With support from the
World Bank, CARP undertook extensive
research and documentation of Asmara’s
urban environment, establishing a “historic
perimeter” zone around the city center
within which all new construction has
been put on hold. Planning guidelines
for the zone are currently in development,
and CARP believes the public advocacy
benefits of World Monuments Watch listing
will help ensure the adoption of such
guidelines as part of an Eritrean legal
framework to protect Asmara’s historic
resources.
