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An ambitious seven-volume encyclopedia captures the wealth of architectural wonders in 49 sub-Saharan African countries.
The wooden struts protruding from the facade of the Bobo Dioulasso mosque in Burkina Faso double up as scaffolding when required
The miragelike Grand Mosque of Djenne in Mali could have very well have inspired Antoni Gaudi s renowned Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona. In Burkina Faso, the iconic Grand Mosque of Bobo-Dioulasso features conical towers dotted with wooden struts that resemble spears from afar but double up as scaffolding for repair works whenever necessary.
These are but two of the numerous impressive buildings that first captivated Berlin-based architect and publisher Phillip Meuser. It was during his work trips to West Africa that Meuser discovered the richness and originality of sub-Saharan African architecture, which until then hardly got mention in specialist literature.
Best Music Venue: Wallpaper Design Awards 2021
Best Music Venue: Wallpaper Design Awards 2021
The Floating Music Hub in Cape Verde, by NLÉ, scoops Best Music Venue at the 2021 Wallpaper Design Awards
Image: Ojima Abalaka
The island nation of Cape Verde, off the west coast of Africa, may be tiny, but it has an outsized influence. Once a slave port, it is now an important international commercial hub, and a cultural melting pot, bridging African and European traditions. It was this rich cultural heritage that architect Kunlé Adeyemi – founder of Amsterdam- and Lagos-based studio NLÉ – and Samba Bathily – the Mali-born sustainable solutions pioneer – wanted to honour and amplify when they first started discussing working together in 2018. Adeyemi recalls: ‘We wanted a scheme to use as a point of global connection back to the [African] continent, using music, arts, culture and hospitality’.