Architecture of Zimbabwe
[2] However, post-1954 buildings are mainly inspired by pre-colonial, traditional architecture,[1] especially Great Zimbabwe–inspired structures such as the Kingdom Hotel, Harare international airport, and the National Heroes' Acre.
A village in Chapungu Sculpture Park uses tall grass as a natural fence, similar to the Hill Complexes of that time.
Traditional houses, especially in rural areas, still have thatched roofs with mud walls, similar to structures dating back to the stone-walled huts of Great Zimbabwe.
[3] In modern times, the walls of houses are usually built of coursed, sun-dried bricks, with rectangular doorways and brush roofs.
The traditional practice of constructing high sleeping platforms, cooking benches, and seats continues today.
Farmhouse huts are located near the fields and consist of lean-tos made with wooden sticks, resting on stilts up to nine feet tall and accessed via ladders.
[3] Residential areas generally consist of circular huts arranged around an open space, which serves as a courtyard for fire-making and revealing the presence of wild animals or other intruders.
[2] Affluent people often lived in residences with nattily-constructed stone enclosures, but with crudely coursed walls are still being a part of the structure.
[6] Both Great Zimbabwe and Khami share some similarities of architectural design, with their differences being influenced by topography, weather, and the availability of building materials.
[2] The foyer, lobby, casino, and entrance courtyard have a rounded design, with a domed roof that incorporates grass.
[2] The design was influenced by the symbolism of Shona rulers, which references agricultural production and the need of surplus food reserves to be well maintained against prolonged periods of drought.
These food reserves are stored in specially made grain silos that have a broad base and that taper toward the top.
[4] The air bridges that serve as passageways for passengers' airplane boarding, protrude from the main terminal and, their exteriors appropriately decorated, are reminders of the passages leading to the Conical Tower inside the Great Enclosure.
Its construction was initiated in September 1981—one year after Zimbabwe officially gained independence and can therefore be considered a structure of the post-independence period—with the assistance of architects from North Korea, where a pre-colonial architectural style had also found favor.
From the open space towards the east of the hill, numbers of low circular steps connect to an octahedral dais.
[10] During the annual Heroes' Day ceremony, flowers are placed on the foot of the dais, which is the most sacred portion of the entire shrine, and it serves as a boundary between the two parts of the site.
These steps meet on the fourth level with a narrow passage at the junction, both sides of which are elaborately decorated, and lead to the 40-metre (130 ft) Freedom Tower, which rises from the summit of the hill.
