My family first moved to Kinshasa
in 1956. Then called Leopoldville, the capital of
the Belgian Congo was celebrating its 75th anniversary (See Mar. 5, 2011). It was home to some 350,000 Congolese
and another 20,000 Europeans. The city was about to be divided into 11 Communes
(to allow for local elections in 1957), plus a vast Territoire Suburbain, and
covered an area stretching from Limete and the Ndjili River in the east to
Commune Ngaliema at the level of Ave de l’Ecole in the west. The city was developing rapidly with
high rise apartment buildings popping up in the downtown area and vast, planned
residential communities for Congolese under construction by the Office des Cités
Africains in Bandalungwa, Matete and Ndjili (See Sept. 30, 2011). The city now
comprises 21 Communes, having absorbed the Territoire Suburbain, and its
population in excess of 10 million qualifies it as one of Africa’s seven
megacities. It is also the largest Francophone city in the world.
We’ve returned to Kinshasa for a
two-year assignment. We have an apartment in one of the high-rise buildings
that would have been under construction back in 1956, the heyday of “Tropical
Modernism” (See Aug. 15, 2011). These
relics of the colonial period are now dwarfed by a number of 25 and 30 story
buildings going up all over Gombe Commune. The real estate boom that began in the late 2000s is making
its mark throughout the city, and not just in Gombe. It is easy to be seduced by the crisp lines, the
glass facades, the towering construction cranes and the Dubai-inspired designs.
There is definitely pent up demand stemming from the declining years of the
Mobutu era and the challenging beginnings of the Kabila regime. But there remains a huge gap between
the lifestyle enjoyed by the Congolese elite and the expatriate community and
the majority of Kinois.
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Balcony at the apartment - "Tropical Modernism" evident in poured concrete sun shades |
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Detail view of the stairs in the apartment building |
Kinshasa’s architectural heritage
is under threat as villas and other structures on large lots are demolished for
multi-story towers that occupy the entire parcel with virtually no
setback. While Boulevard du 30
Juin, Boulevard Lumumba, Ave. Liberation and other arteries have been rebuilt
to handle large traffic volumes, many side streets which host these major
traffic magnets are significantly congested throughout the day. Many one and two story buildings of the
colonial era are falling into disrepair, their shabby facades and rooflines just
visible over security walls. Awkward adaptations further degrade their
appearance.
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Old Art Deco building on the Boulevard |
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New apartment complex going up behind a colonial era villa |
One of my pastimes here has been
to guide architectural history tours of the city (See Jan. 11, 2011). Five
years ago, I returned to Kinshasa for the 50th anniversary reunion of
the American School of Kinshasa (TASOK).
Before my former classmates arrived, I retraced the route of the
Historical and Architectural Heritage Tour I organized for the 2005 reunion and
noted a number of changes at that time (See July 3, 2011). Were I to organize
the tour today, several stops would have to be introduced with, “On this site
once stood…”, The Texaf complex on
Ave. Mondjiba, the first textile mill in the country, no longer produces its
brightly colored cloth and has been converted into a sprawling real estate
venture called Immotex, providing office space for NGOs, the UN and some
embassy back offices. At Petit Pont at the curve of Ave. Justice, Chez Nicola
restaurant, itself successor to the Auberge Petit Pont and its unique outdoor
cinema, is now the site of a huge concrete and glass building whose owners are
working to complete the street-side entrance and sidewalks so they can obtain
the certificate of occupancy.
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Texaf on Ave Mondjiba |
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Texaf nearly 90 years ago when King Albert visited |
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Building at site for former Chez Nicola |
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Petit Pont restaurant (later Chez Nicola) in the early 1950s. Note the same circular flower bed. |
Closer to downtown the site of
the Union Mission House and the BMS mission is transformed. UMH is now the Residence Oasis and
across the street, stand two new apartment blocs which just last week the
complex received a sign proclaiming it as “The Peace”, commemorating BMS’
steamer “The Peace” (See Mar. 5, 2011).
The Baptist mission, now the Communauté Baptiste de Fleuve Congo (CBFC) appears
to have entered into what is euphemistically called “auto-financement” with a
property developer. One only hopes
the church and its faithful will benefit.
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Former UMH (CAP) on Ave. Kalemie |
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"The Peace" apartment complex |
Finally, the Gare Centrale, still
the Gare Centrale, has gotten a face-lift. Covered with orange tiles and a faux
tinted window, it has yet to reopen, but one can buy tickets for weekly express
trains to Matadi in the courtyard.
Outside the Gare there used to be a bas-relief commemorating the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the railway in Kinshasa in 1898. The sculpture was removed in 1971 and
an artist has reproduced a Congolese version of the role Congolese played in
the construction of the railroad. The original bas-relief has now been added to
the collection of colonial statuary on display on the grounds of the National
Museum at the base of Mont Ngaliema.
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New edition Gare Centrale |
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Mural commemorating the construction of the railroad from Matadi |
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The 1948 version of the bas-relief at the Gare, now at the National Museum |
The Museum, located at the site
of Stanley’s original encampment, would definitely be an addition to the
Heritage Tour (See July 5, 2011). Another development since my last visit
is the return of Henry Stanley’s statue to a vertical position. A “Friends of Stanley” group in UK
financed the repair of the statue to attach it to the base from which it was
sheered at the ankles in 1971. The collection of Congolese artifacts on display
could benefit from improved presentation and better lighting. In July, the South Korean Government
began construction of a new National Museum on the Blvd. Triomphal.
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Henry Morton Stanley's statue at the Museum |
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Stanley's statue in 2010 |
An innovation in public transport
is the small right-hand drive Toyotas and other brands imported from the Gulf
States which ply the streets as shared taxis. Called “ketches” (sneakers) they bring to mind bumper cars (with
about as much attention to the rules of the road) and add significantly to the
congestion. On the other hand, the
smaller number of passengers per vehicle has allowed the opening up of many new
side routes, a boon for Kinshasa commuters. The Transco bus system, yet another
attempt to provide public transport in the city, now have fare machines that
accept pre-paid cards.
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A clutch of "ketches" threading through traffic |
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New Transco buses on Blvd 30 Juin |
Another automotive innovation are
the food trucks, which seem to do a brisk business in high traffic areas such
as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Supreme Court and at the Place des
Evolués. Finally, a number of intersections now have robots that
regulate traffic. Designed and
built by a Congolese woman engineer and her organization, Women Technology, the
machines are powered by solar panels atop their stands and can have cameras
installed behind their sunglasses to record traffic violators.
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A food truck at Place des Evolués
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Robot at Kintambo Magasins with Congo flag as pagne. Ubiquitous "ketche" with import stickers still on the windshield. |
Kinshasa is a city in constant change and evolution. It has
always been a remarkable place to live.
I’m looking forward to being a part of it again.
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