Afritecture » Architecture

Royal Netherlands Embassy

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:41:28 +0000

A stunning example of a building concept that responds to its cultural and ecological surroundings, the Royal Netherlands Embassy in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, reflects a convergence of cultures, and collaboration between Ethiopian and Dutch architects. The guiding principle in the construction of the project was a respect for place while addressing the functional requirements of a working embassy, resulting in a contemporary structure that fully engages its local environment.

Le Medi

admin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:07:46 +0000

Le Medi is a Dutch neighbourhood consisting of 93 dwellings in the Rotterdam district of Bospolder. The object of this housing development was to create a residential block with characteristics of Moroccan and Mediterranean dwellings that are in complete harmony with the contemporary needs of housing consumers in terms of both individuality and the design and interpretation of residential wishes. It is the combined result of a well travelled architect, a local visionary with immigrant roots, and a growing urban demographic increasingly embracing global tastes and influences.

Kampala Serena

admin — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:36:29 +0000

Uganda's natural beauty inspires a sophisticated design approach to one of Africa's most elegant hotel properties. Situated in Kampala, the land-locked country's bustling capital, the Kampala Serena Hotel blends indigenous themes with careful attention to the hotel chain's 5 Star details.

Butabu

admin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:19:39 +0000

James Morris, a photographer, and Suzanne Preston Blier, professor of Afro-American studies at Harvard authored Butabu: Adobe Architecture of West Africa. This a well-researched and beautifully presented study of the sculptural mud architecture of West Africa is stunning. These often beautiful buildings were designed and built by architects for kings and emperors, making the best of local materials and know-how.

In Mali, and in Niger, Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Benin, mud is not just used for making pots. It has been used for hundreds of years to build sensational structures -houses, mosques, palaces, temples, entire communities - which are repaired and remoulded every year during engagingly splashy mud festivals. And the very viscosity of this most malleable material has produced some highly inventive forms that seem to encompass ancient cultures, the spirits of the Sahara and even a touch of Surrealism.

Gando Primary School

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:05:56 +0000

Inspired by one man's dream to improve the educational facilities of his village, the primary school in Gando, Burkina Faso, is an extraordinary achievement in philantrophy, design, and constructions methods.

British Council, Lagos

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 23:43:40 +0000

New offices for the British Council in Lagos, Nigeria both respond to, and challenge local conditions. Embrasing openness in the hot, humid tropical climate, alongside security and accessibility, the designer's response is subtle, yet practical.

Freedom Park Museum

admin — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:55:48 +0000

Inspired by the African tradition of carving a grave from within a Baobab trunk as repository for the remains of important community members, the Memorial can be seen as a hollowed-out tree trunk. Its voided interior 30 meters high, 20 meters in diameter and open to the elements through an oculus 5 meters in diameter, it will be more suggestive of a womb than a grave.

Banyan Tree Resort

admin — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:41:07 +0000

The masterplan is for a discreet and environmentally intelligent architecture that blends harmoniously with the lush and extensive landscape. Green fingers of lush vegetation extend down towards the sea, with a series of contemporary buildings inserted amid tropical plantings to create an architecture that at once responds to the contours of the landscape and recedes into the green totality.

AIST-Abuja Campus

admin — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:13:57 +0000

Situated in Abuja, Nigeria, the African Institute of Science and Technology is a master planned campus designed to mimick the geographic patch work of the area, taking inspiration from traditional and cultural values.

Tracing the Threads that Join America and Africa

admin — Thu, 07 May 2009 22:57:26 +0000

David Adjaye, lead designer of the the team of Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup, is selected to design the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.