Architectural Studies 359 - Black Wealth and the City: Architecture, Success, and Precarity

(Offered as ARHA 359, ARCH, 359, BLST 359) This upper-level seminar is a global investigation of the urban built environments of black wealth and prosperity. Beginning with an investigation of the architecture of West African
royalty, this course traces the built history of modern wealth through the lens of black achievement. Some of the topics that we will consider include: the architecture of African royal palace compounds; the houses of the emergent black bourgeoisie in nineteenth-century America; the social spaces of African-American artists and intellectuals in 1920s Europe; the domestic lives of black celebrities; the presidential palaces of African leaders; and artists’ depictions of black wealth worldwide. Our goal will be to determine what continuities, challenges, and ethical dilemmas have defined the architecture of black wealth trans-historically and around the world. Through course discussions, presentations, and a final research paper, students will hone their writing, research, and speaking skills. Students will also refine their skills in visual and architectural analysis. This course is open to students who have taken at least one 100- or 200-level class in art history, black studies, or architectural studies.

Prerequisite: A 100 or 200 level course in Art and the History of Art, Architectural Studies, or Black Studies. Limited to 15 students. Spring 2026: Assistant Professor Carey.

How to handle overenrollment: Random selection by the registrar

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Emphasis on written work, readings, independent research, oral presentations, visual analysis.