Diébédo Francis Kéré was interviewed by Marc-Christoph Wagner.
Camera: Klaus Elmer
Editing by Kamilla Bruus
Produced by Marc-Christoph Wagner
Copyright: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2014.
Supported by Nordea Fonden.
"Architecture is much more than art. And it is by far more than just building buildings". Meet award-winning architect Diébédo Francis Kéré from Burkina Faso in this interview about his architectural philosophy. Architecture, Kéré explains, is basically a social process - especially in the poorer and less developed regions of the world. It is about integrating the people, you build for, making them feel, it is their project. In this way, they identify with the building and are proud of it.
In his works, Kére chooses to work with local materials - wood and clay - although his buildings must have a modern articulation. The local community very often identify traditional materials with a premodern stage of development. Involving people means teaching them modern building skills, which they later on will need to maintain the building. Besides that, local materials are ideal in confronting the climatic challenges of the region: Clay keeps the heat out of the building and stabilizes the temperature inside, which is "better than artificial climatization", Kéré says. "If we learn to build with local materials, we have a future. Architecture can bring a lot to a local society like mine. Architecture makes people proud, simply proud. And that can generate a lot of energy."
Initiated by the German film and theatre director, actor and artist Christoph Schlingensief, the Opera Village is an arts education project operated by Festspielhaus Afrika. When Francis Kéré first heard the idea of an opera house for Africa, he thought that it was crazy until he met Christoph...
If you want your own avatar and keep track of your discussions with the community, sign up to archiDATUM >>
The Dakar Exhibition centre is a psychedelic 70s baby, a building that perhaps represented a provoking, almost tickling and sparkling ide...
Situated in the rural countryside of the Boulkiemdé province of Burkina Faso, the Noomdo Orphanage lies approximately 2 kilometers outsid...
The Sapiens Building is located in a former industrial zone 500 metres from the Avenida Marginal and the Bay of Luanda. The plot contains...
Airport project will bring development and transformation along the major international route in the Country. The city of Nacala, located...
Initiated by the German film and theatre director, actor and artist Christoph Schlingensief, the Opera Village is an arts education proje...
This complex serves one of South Africa’s most important missions abroad being the seat of the African Union and provides for both bilate...