Africa has experienced the application of the Modern Movement Baukunst principles during the last century, a process triggered by the theories and the projects of Le Corbusier, primarily involved in the 20s of 1900 in some exciting conceptual ideas in the North Region. The well-known master plan of Algiers, named “Obus” or the design of Maison Locative Ponsik, has worked as a trampoline to spread and eradicate modernism throughout the continent. The paper aims to analyse the impact in terms of sustainability that this particular architectural language has achieved at different latitudes and its value as a reference for contemporary buildings. Case studies located in North Africa and the sub-Saharan region support the assumption of learning from the past to pave a sustainable future. In addition to Le Corbusier's work, modern adaptation to the built and unbuilt context is studied in Nigeria, as well as in the work of Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew and the Democratic Republic of Congo, through one project by Claude Laurens. Finally, the main components of the Modern Movement artefacts in tropical climates are pointed out to raise awareness about a heritage whose features can stimulate a more sustainable and rational architecture.