State aesthetics and meanings of political architecture in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire

The contrasting aesthetics of state architecture in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire is more than simply a product of elite decision-making about where and how to build. Citizens living in the capitals of each country use the buildings to describe a very different aesthetic of the state and its relationship to society. In effect, the countries’ divergent developments can be described through their own architectural landscapes.