Anthony Almeida was recognised as being the first to bring new architectural modernism to the country
I was born in 1921 in Dar es Salaam, the main town and port of the then British Protectorate of Tanganyika.
My father had left Goa to come to then German East Africa, sometime before 1900. He settled in Dar-es-Salaam and successfully established a general merchants business along 'Under den Akazien' (later Acacia Avenue/ Independence Avenue/ now Samora Avenue).
Following my mother's death and at the young age of 10 years, I was sent to India (Bangalore) for education. Upon completion of my secondary education, I was required to be an engineer, but I became an architect by sheer chance of circumstances. I completed architectural studies in Bombay and in 1948 was elected an Associate member of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
During the period of my architectural studies, my father died in Dar es Salaam and I was thus required to return to Dar es Salaam to take over the management of some properties left by my father.
In October 1948, I left India (Bombay) and flew to Nairobi on a non-scheduled flight organised by an ex-British war-time pilot, using an unconverted war-time, twin-engine, propeller-driven "Dakota" plane. In fact, the pilot was proud to show the passengers the patched-up war-time bullet holes. For the trip from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam, I was able to board a weekly schedule of the then British Overseas Airways Corporation.
After a total of two days of flying and two nights of resting (Aden and Nairobi), I arrived in Dar es Salaam just 12 hours before the expiry of my "entry permit".
I was accommodated in the area of Kichwele (now Uhuru) Street between the present Clock Tower and Mnazi Moja Grounds and much to my surprise found it difficult to believe I was in Africa, as the people, the buildings, the sounds and even smells of food were those of the India I had left.
In the course of settling down, I undertook my first work with a local Asian structural engineer, for a payment of Shs 1,500.00 per month. This may today sound like chicken feed, but then, I was also able to then buy a British-made Morris Minor car for Shs 10,400.00.
After working for a year, I decided to leave the employment but because there were no other openings, I was forced into embarking on my private practice.
My very first project as a self-employed architect was a lavatory block consisting of just 2 WCs for an existing Asian school.
Such was the beginning of the first-ever chartered architect in this country (Tanzania). The work that followed consisted generally of the typical 3 or 4-storied townhouses of the Asian businessmen which not ungratefully, can be said to be of no real architectural merit, though no fault of the architect.
Then in 1954, the Goan Community approached me to design an entirely new primary school on an 8-acre plot in the sub-urban area of Dar-es-Salaam (Chang'ombe). Here at last came the opportunity to showcase my architectural ability. However, the design required the prior approval of the Government's Department of Education, since the Government was required to provide 2/3 of the capital cost. When the very modern (radical for the country) proposal was placed before the Director of Education and his assistants, there was the expected, almost hostile reaction. The discussion went like this:
— "Well, well, what have we here — an aeroplane?" (referring to the plan shape).
"Why does the design deviate from those of the many other existing and approved schools?"
"And, why should the government pay for the large unbuilt area below the two upper floors?" etc., etc..
After two days of discussions and explanations, the design proposal was approved without changes.
The school was officially opened in 1956 and was known as the "Goan School" (now Kibasila School).
After this, there followed many major and prestigious architectural projects, including in 1959 another project of the community, the "Goan Institute" (now Dar-es-Salaam Institute). Then in 1960, it was a fellow Goan who proposed that I should design the Vasco da Gama Memorial in Malindi in Kenya. For the trust and patronage I enjoyed, I remain thankful to my community.
[Anthony (Toni) Almeida was the elder brother of noted Goan architect Sarto Almeida. In 1965, Anthony Almeida was appointed by the Government Minister of Education to serve on the Advisory Council on Education. In 2007, Almeida featured in a documentary by Jord den Hollander called ‘Many Words for Modern’ in which he was recognised as being the first to bring new architectural modernism to Tanzania in which his designs were perfectly adapted to the tropical climate of East Africa. Almeida also took a keen interest in the preservation of Tanzania’s culture and heritage and used satirical cartoons to make a point some of which were published. He passed away on March 17, 2019]
