Form and Façade in Yoruba Architecture: Society, Culture and Religion

     This week's materials further plunge us into the dynamism of African architecture through the use of form and façade. The relationship between form (ground plan) and façade (aesthetics and decorations) within architecture is especially unique because while they coexist, they hold key differences. Within traditional Yoruba culture and architecture, this unique coexistence between form and façade is present. Traditional form or ground plan of Yoruba architecture usually entails hollow rectangles or square homes in quad-shaped courtyards. This architectural form is cohesive with the way traditional social communities are structured. For Yoruba architecture, the form reveals the social lives of the Yoruba people, and the manner in which they interact with each other and their community.

Yoruba architectural forms usually follow the same square and rectangular geometrical buildings built around a courtyard.

    The façade in Yoruba Architecture is a lot more complex than the form. The façade entails all the spiritual and intricate aspects of Yoruba architecture and culture. Façade in Yoruba Architecture is present in form of the designs on building doors, pillars, and walls, as well as other objects like stools, and even orisha (or gods) statues. The façade in Yoruba architecture reveals their religious beliefs and other aspects of their spirituality. 

    Like with many other African cultures, form and façade work interchangeably within Yoruba architecture. In Yoruba architecture, the form or ground plan gives an insight into the way Yoruba people interacted with each other and performed communal activities, while the façade revealed the Yoruba people's spirituality and religious beliefs.