Movement
Tropical Modernism
Explore in the Atlas →An adaptation of International Modernism to hot, humid climates developed by British architects Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew in West Africa and India during the late 1940s and 1950s, using brise-soleils, louvres, deep eaves, courtyards and cross-ventilation for passive cooling. Conceived under late colonial rule, it was reappropriated after independence as an expression of national modernity by leaders such as Nkrumah and Nehru.
Dwelling Power Production
Details
- Origin
- West Africa and India
Classifications
- Holder
- Individual
- Source of authority
- ObservationReason
- Subject
- Human centred
- Political position
- Hegemonic
- Degree of codification
- Pattern based
- Mode of transmission
- Text drawing
- Knowledge type
- Propositional
- Epistemic cluster
- Western philosophical
Referenced by
- Sri Lankan Parliament Building exemplifies
- Bait Ur Rouf Mosque exemplifies
Sources
- Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew. Tropical Architecture in the Humid Zone. Batsford, 1956.
- Victoria and Albert Museum. Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence. V&A, 2024.
Cite this entry
First published May 2026Last revised Jul 2026
CLAD. "Tropical Modernism." Atlas of Architectural Thought. CLAD, 2026. https://www.cl-ad.com.au/research/atlas/movement/tropical-modernism/. Accessed July 17, 2026.