2026 FITCH COLLOQUIUM: Preserving Independence: Architecture and Heritage in Western Africa

The 2026 Fitch Colloquium, Preserving Independence, explores contemporary preservation practices in western Africa and the ways they have grappled with the architectural and cultural legacies of independence and decolonization. Taking place during the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States, the colloquium uses this occasion to broaden contemporary reflections on independence by foregrounding the role of architectural preservation in shaping the collective memory of independence in western Africa. Over the past few years, preservationists, architects, archaeologists, and cultural institutions across the region have started to confront complex questions regarding the preservation of buildings, monuments, landscapes, and sites associated with independence movements and postcolonial nation building. Their work has involved not only the preservation of colonial heritage, but also the recognition and reinterpretation of modern and brutalist buildings constructed during the era of independence as emblems of national identity, political aspiration, and cultural self-determination.

The colloquium examines how preservation has participated in the construction of national heritage across western Africa, and how preservation priorities have developed within differing political, cultural, and institutional contexts. It will consider the legacies of distinct colonial administrations––in particular French and British––, and how these histories continue to shape preservation policy and architectural conservation. It will also examine more recent exchanges between western African and American preservationists, museums, and cultural institutions, and the ways these transatlantic dialogues have informed contemporary preservation discourse. Taking as its point of departure the MoMA exhibition on post-independence architecture in western Africa—which seeks to bring greater visibility in the United States to significant yet still underrecognized architectural works from across the region—the colloquium expands the discussion to include the preservation practices that have emerged around this architecture and the broader cultural landscapes of independence. In doing so, it highlights the important contributions West African preservationists have made to contemporary debates on heritage, memory, adaptive reuse, and the preservation of modern architecture.

The colloquium is premised on the idea that the collective memory of independence as a foundational political event has both shaped and been shaped by preservation practices in western Africa and the United States, and that there is much to be learned from placing these histories in dialogue. The colloquium seeks to foster new dialogue between West African and American preservationists on how to preserve and interpret sites associated with independence on both sides of the Atlantic.

Organized in conjunction with MoMA’s exhibition on western African architecture, the colloquium brings together preservationists, architects, historians, planners, archaeologists, curators, and cultural leaders to reflect on the past, present, and future of preservation in western Africa.

Co-organized by the Columbia GSAPP Preservation Program and the MoMA Department of Architecture and Design.

Named for the founder of formal preservation education at Columbia University and in the United States, the James Marston Fitch Colloquium became an annual event in 2000. In a day-long colloquium, students, alumni, and guests hear speakers and engage in discussion over current issues in preservation—attempting to discover and define the leading edge of the discipline.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required for all attendees. Columbia University campus access is restricted to Columbia affiliates (with a valid CUID) and to pre-approved guests. To attend an event at GSAPP, please register through the form below at least two business days in advance of the event to request campus access and bring your ID.