A Historic Urban Landscape under siege: Challenges facing the rehabilitation and conservation of the HUL of Antananarivo

Ref.: 156
Key theme: 02 Functional integrity of historic urban landscapes
Date of reception: 29/10/2008

AUTHORS (*Main author)

MACDONALD, Deanna * (Canada) - None

ABSTRACT

Antananarivo is a city of great potential. A capital of the Merina Kingdom since the 16th
century, the capital of a united Madagascar since the early 19th century and a French
colonial city until independence in 1960, Antananarivo's winding streets are lined with
architecture and monuments from each era. Its historic centre, set on rolling red hills
dotted with tropical trees and rice paddy fields, holds architecture ranging from stately
Malagasy palaces and sacred tombs to French neo-gothic churches to picturesque red
brick homes with high tiled roofs. It is a highly unique Historic Urban Landscape,
reflecting the history of the city and the whole island. Well maintained, Antananarivo
could be one of the most beautiful and fascinating capitals in Africa.
But it is not and the HUL of Antananarivo is under threat from all sides. Most recent and
alarming have been the destruction of historic buildings to make way for new
construction, one of the negative consequences of Madagascar's recent (modest)
economic growth. And as I write, political unrest and riots are further threatening
Antananarivo's HUL; for instance, commercial buildings on the Avenue d'Independence
dating to the 1930s were burnt in looting just 2 days ago. As well, as Madagascar is
among the world's poorest countries, its capital's infrastructure and architecture are in
decay. While a few important structures are receiving attention - such as the Queens's
Rova (historic palace complex of the Merina monarchs) which was destroyed by fire in
1995 and is now being rebuilt with UNESCO's help - most of Antananarivo's HUL
remains neglected, and often, in near ruins.
How can Antananarivo's HUL be saved before a variety of threats - rapid, insensitive
development; civil unrest; poverty; a lack of awareness of the value of the HUL ­ destroy
it forever?
The first part of the paper will be a brief introduction to the situation in the historic centre
of Antananarivo, giving an overview of the area's historic and cultural significance.
The second part will discuss the principal threats to the physical, visual and functional
integrity of Antananarivo's HUL: among them lack of or non-enforcement of heritage
protection policies, insensitive and rapid development, civil unrest and neglect. It will
also note some state, private and corporate renovation projects underway or completed.
For example, the Queen's Rova; some colonial era mansions rehabilitated privately as
hotels or restaurants; and the 1910 Beaux-Arts train station which is being renovated by
the railway company, Madarail.
The third part will consider what needs to be done to revitalize and conserve the HUL of
Antananarivo as a whole.
Obviously, steps need to be taken to create firm government policies and an effective and
sufficiently funded local organization to oversee the identification, protection and
conservation of this heritage. (Today, heritage legislation protects only a part of the city's
historic centre and these rules are often ignored or circumvented.)
However, essential to creating effective and enforceable policies is an understanding of
the place of the built environment in Malagasy culture, which has traditionally placed
greater emphasis on its ancestors and the past, than on the future. For many Malagasy,
culture is more to be found in beliefs, a way of life, and in honouring the ancestors, than
in any building. For any program or policy to work, it will need to take into account these
mores and to find ways of integrating local tradition and contemporary use. It will be
essential to engage locals in the conservation and management of their own heritage and
considering Madagascar's high levels of poverty, conservation policies must be linked to
development. One potential source of local income and funding for future conservation is
cultural tourism, which to date has rarely been promoted in Antananarivo, but which has
enormous potential. Strengthening Antananarivo's resident's sense of civic pride and
building an understanding of the benefits of conservation, both tangible and intangible,
would be at the heart of any successful attempts to conserve Antananarivo's HUL.

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