Socialising, Commerce, and Trade: The African Market Hall in a Modernized Word


Kariakoo Market / Beda Amuli - Dar es Salaam. Image © Moiz Husein via Shutterstock

Kariakoo Market / Beda Amuli – Dar es Salaam. Image © Moiz Husein via Shutterstock

A few months ago – in July 2021, the 47-year-old Kariakoo Market went up in flames in Dar es Salaam. Designed by Tanzanian architect Beda Amuli, the market is a central landmark – a key part of Dar es Salaam’s commercial hub. Early images of a new Kariakoo Market show a taller structure, with six floors compared to the three in Amuli’s design. Conversations on social media have abounded on the new design, and if a “tower” typology is really the appropriate choice considering the unpopular nature of other similar “tower” market halls in Dar es Salaam.

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