Bumbogo Project / Guillaume Sardin

Bumbogo Project / Guillaume Sardin
Courtesy of Guillaume Sardin

Africa is currently building its urban culture, in a global context of clusterized cities, of insularized space. Urbanism shouldn’t be just about numbers. Although Africa is currently strongly lacking infrastructure, its needs cannot always be quantified. Urbanism should reflect culture, history and create a sense of belonging. Guillaume Sardin‘s Bumbogo Project in Kigali, Rwanda, which won second place in a competition, will be a manifest, a pragmatic utopia. By using the meaning of Rwanda and Kigali as a matrix, this project generates an ultra site-specific master plan setting an example of fair urbanism. More images and architects’ description after the break.

What if, instead of importing Beaux Arts Urbanism, we tried to reinterpret the archipelago city to propose an enhanced and adapted version of it? A city made to separate and join at the same time, a city of islands, imagination and exploration. In a country of oral culture, toponymy (the study of place names) could help bonding the new urban society to its roots. Cities can make use of the meaning of places, and toponymy could be a tool for urban development all over Africa.

Courtesy of Guillaume Sardin

Image gallery

See allShow less
About this author
Cite: Alison Furuto. "Bumbogo Project / Guillaume Sardin" 11 Jan 2012. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/198610/bumbogo-project-guillaume-sardin> ISSN 0719-8884

You've started following your first account!

Did you know?

You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.