FRANCIS Kere, the sole African Pritzker Prize winner (2022), has unveiled the Goethe-Institut in Dakar, Senegal — a sustainable cultural centre using local bricks, open-air ventilation, and a central baobab tree as a communal “palaver” hub. This Burkina Faso-born architect, now Berlin-based, prioritizes bioclimatic design with African materials like clay and bamboo, adapting principles from his award-winning 2001 Gando Primary School to global projects.
The perforated brick walls enable cross-ventilation, minimizing energy use while echoing traditional aesthetics. Kere laments overreliance on glass and concrete, advocating earthen alternatives amid energy crises like the Strait of Hormuz closure.
His portfolio spans Benin’s National Assembly (palaver tree-inspired, due 2027), Burkina Faso’s Sankara mausoleum amid jihadist conflict, a Las Vegas art museum with local red rock, and Brazil’s “house of wisdom” library. Despite expanding to Europe, America, and beyond, Kere vows fidelity to roots: “If you give me sand, mud, and bamboo, I can create a project.” He builds 11 schools yearly in Burkina Faso, fearing global fame might distance him from Africa.
AFP
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