On February 29, 1960, a catastrophic earthquake devastated the Moroccan coastal city of Agadir, erasing it almost entirely and killing a third of its population. The world was shocked, and very quickly large amounts of international aid arrived. Following an emotional speech by King Mohammed V, the reconstruction of Agadir also turned into an undertaking of national and international solidarity. A new and unprecedented process of urban construction was developed that allowed many architectsnational and internationalto simultaneously design the new city. The result of this joint effort was astounding. In a very short time, the new Agadir rose from the ashes. The best Moroccan and international architects experimented with novel housing typologies, which mediated between ultramodern and vernacular ways of dwelling, complemented by innovative public structures, such as schools, dispensaries, and cinemas. All of these combined into an original urban reality: a modern Afropolis. This book for the first time thoroughly explores the forgotten tale of Agadirs reconstruction. It features previously unpublished archival documents and striking period photographs, as well as new plans and contemporary images by London-based photographer and academic David Grandorge, alongside scholarly essays by architects and architecture historians. A three-part interview with Lahsen Roussafi, who witnessed the 1960 earthquake as a student, rounds out this tantalizing narration of the international architectural adventure of rebuilding Agadir as the modern Afropolis.

Tom Avermaete ist Professor für Geschichte und Theorie des Städtebaus am Institut für Geschichte und Theorie der Architektur (gta) der ETH Zürich. Maxime Zaugg ist Architekt und arbeitet zurzeit als Doktorand und Forschungsmitarbeiter am Institut für Geschichte und Theorie der Architektur (gta) der ETH Zürich.