Mobilizing the Racialized Built Environment in Asmara

The preservation of Asmara, an Italian colonial city in Eritrea, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site reflects a complex intersection of interests that prioritize architectural heritage over democratic and humanitarian concerns. This study reveals how narratives surrounding the 'white city' of Asmara—rooted in Italian modernist architecture—have been mobilized to bolster national identity under the authoritarian Afwerki regime while overlooking severe power asymmetries and current conditions. The research identifies three narrative strategies used by preservationists, which converge with those of international bodies (ICOMOS, World Heritage Committee), European Union states, and the local regime, each with distinct agendas: expanding modernist historiography, increasing African sites on the UNESCO List, gaining political leverage, and consolidating spatial control. The analysis critiques this convergence, highlighting a disconnect where architectural preservation is celebrated without addressing systemic issues, thereby reinforcing institutional positions while ignoring humanitarian realities.

Flahive, R. (2025). Mobilizing the Racialized Built Environment in Asmara. White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism, Modernist Architecture, and Contemporary Preservation, 127–141. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003566588-6