Samia Henni

Assistant Professor of History and Theory of Architecture and Urbanism, Cornell University

New rural settlements in Randon, Municipality of Bône. Photo courtesy of Samia Henni

"Architecture of Counterrevolution"

Join us on Feb. 12 for a conversation with Samia Henni, whose research and teaching at Cornell AAP explores the history and theory of the built environments in relation to colonialism, displacement, gender, resource extraction. Henni will discuss her book, Architecture of Counterrevolution: The French Army in Northern Algeria.

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020
6 pm - 7:30 pm
Hayes Hall 403, UB South Campus

Samia Henni will introduce and discuss the arguments of her award-winning book, Architecture of Counterrevolution: The French Army in Northern Algeria (Zurich: gta Verlag, 2017). The book examines the roots and effects of French colonial spatial policies and military counterinsurgency operations in Algeria during the Algerian Revolution (1954–1962). Henni’s study focuses on three interrelated spatial measures: the massive forced resettlement of Algerian populations; the mass-housing programs designed for the Algerian population as part of General Charles de Gaulle’s Plan de Constantine; and the fortified administrative new town planned for the protection of the French authorities during the last months of the Algerian Revolution.

AIA continuing education credits pending

Biography

Samia Henni

Samia Henni is an assistant professor of history and theory of architecture and urbanism at Cornell University. She is the author of the award-winning Architecture of Counterrevolution: The French Army in Northern Algeria (EN, Zurich, gta Verlag, 2017; FR, Paris: Editions B42, 2019), the editor ofWar Zones: gta papers 2 (Zurich, gta Verlag, 2018), and the curator of Discreet Violence: Architecture and the French War in Algeria (2017–19, Zurich, Rotterdam, Berlin, Johannesburg, Paris, Prague, Ithaca, Philadelphia). She received her PhD in the history and theory of architecture (with distinction, ETH Medal) from ETH Zurich.

Henni’s teaching and research interests include the history and theory of the built environments in relation to colonialism, displacement, gender, resource extraction, and wars from the first European colonization to the present. Her current book project investigates France’s transformation and exploitation of the Saharan regions in the aftermath of World War II, whereas her current exhibition project portrays the intersection of histories of post-World War II reconstruction, housing industry and North African workers in France. Prior to Cornell University, Henni taught at Princeton University, ETH Zurich, and Geneva University of Art and Design.