Tag: accra | ArchDaily

Venice Biennale 2027's "Do Architecture" and an Earth-Built Cinema in Ghana: This Week’s Review

Reyyan Dogan — Thu, 21 May 2026 06:30:00 +0000

This week's stories reveal a growing focus on reconnecting design with physical reality, whether through construction, landscape, public space, or collective participation. From the curatorial direction of the upcoming Venice Architecture Biennale 2027 to internationally recognized projects addressing flood resilience, affordable housing, and ecological restoration, many of the week's discussions challenged architecture's increasing detachment from material, environmental, and social conditions. At the same time, major cultural interventions, temporary structures, and public forums explored how institutions and civic spaces can become more accessible, adaptable, and engaged with everyday urban life.

Accra Studio / Adjaye Associates

Pilar Caballero — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Text description provided by the architects.

Dot Ateliers / Adjaye Associates

Pilar Caballero — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000

"Artists bring so much value to the world and don't ask for much in return except for support in the form of spaces and materials to create and freedom to experiment with their creativity and maybe recognition to crown it all. …Hopefully a little assistance from us all can help grow their talents, add value to themselves and their works, thus allowing them to continue adding value to the world." Amoako Boafo, Artist and Founder of dot.ateliers

Backyard Community Club / DeRoche Projects

Pilar Caballero — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 07:00:00 +0000

In Accra, where public investment in recreational space is limited and green areas increasingly scarce, the Backyard Community Club proposes a new model for shared civic life: a community sports facility centered on a tennis court, demonstrating how design can deliver inclusive, sustainable, and socially transformative environments. Designed by DeRoche Projects, it is Ghana's first project using a precast rammed earth system – an innovative method pioneered by the studio that reimagines an ancestral material for contemporary, scalable use. At once a local landmark and a replicable prototype, Backyard exemplifies how design can respond to urgent questions of civic quality, environmental stewardship, and cultural identity.

From Root to Roof: In Venice, ArchDaily Highlights Restorative Emerging Practices

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 22 May 2025 07:30:00 +0000

In partnership with the European Cultural Center (ECC), ArchDaily has launched its inaugural exhibition as part of the seventh iteration of Time Space Existence, an architectural showcase occurring concurrently with the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale. Open from May 10 to November 23, 2025, in various locations throughout Venice, this edition centers on the theme of "Repair, Regenerate, and Reuse," promoting innovative and sustainable approaches in architecture. ArchDaily's contribution is located at Palazzo Mora, complementing other venues like Palazzo Bembo, Marinaressa Gardens, and Palazzo Michiel.

From the Hills of Ghana to the Coast of Italy, Discover 8 Unbuilt Educational Spaces from the ArchDaily Community

Nour Fakharany — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 07:30:00 +0000

As educational institutions around the world adapt to shifting societal needs, the architecture of learning is also evolving. This curated selection brings together projects submitted by the global ArchDaily community, highlighting how architects are rethinking the future of schools and universities through design. These proposals reflect pressing global concerns: the importance of community-centered education, the revitalization of historical buildings and neighborhoods, the integration of natural systems, and the search for spatial expressions that accommodate both formal instruction and informal exchange. Whether situated in dense urban centers, rural villages, or coastal landscapes, these projects respond to specific cultural and environmental contexts while engaging with broader architectural questions about sustainability, access, and identity.

Two African National Museums: National Identity Reflected in Modernist Design

Mohieldin Gamal — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Two museums in Africa built in the mid-twentieth century carry the name 'National Museum.' They reflect the story of their respective nation's history and are tied to notions of national identity. Both are also examples of fine architecture built on the principles of Modernism, a movement associated with nation-building in Africa. However, their inception and purpose followed very different paths. This article explores the under-reported architecture of the National Museum of Ghana in Accra and the Sudan National Museum in Khartoum.

dot.ateliers | Ogbojo / DeRoché Strohmayer

Hana Abdel — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Among the production-led artist residencies that have recently emerged across West Africa, dot.ateliers|Ogbojo in Accra, Ghana, has set itself apart by focusing on rest and reflection. This oasis, located on the outskirts of the city, combines living and informal collaborative workspaces with nature, contributing to a holistic approach toward creativity. This creative hub, initiated by the artist Amoako Boafo, is meant to be a place for invited intellectuals and artists to share a place to live, ponder, and rest over the course of several months during the respective time they spend at this creative incubator—seamless articulation for contemplation and leisure.

“Abandoned Buildings Provide the Potential for a Regenerative Future”: In Conversation With Limbo Accra

Paul Yakubu — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 07:30:00 +0000

There is an increasing character of abandoned buildings in many African cities and Limbo Accra; a spatial design practice, roots itself in the experimentation of their repair, reuse, and transformation. The practice views these buildings as a unique architectural typology that includes key city landmarks, from the abandoned Independence house in Lagos to the incomplete airport tower in Accra, amongst others. They see them as major opportunities for modern public space and as symbolic sites for spatial justice. Through techniques such as photogrammetry, Limbo Accra has been creating a digital archive of these buildings and collaborating with artists and designers to propose new prospects for them. ArchDaily had the opportunity to speak with Dominique Petit-Frère, the co-founder of Limbo Accra, about the collective character of these buildings, Limbo Accra’s approach to their transformation, and navigating challenges in the adaptive reuse of these structures.

Maximizing Dilapidated Infrastructure: The Potential of Repurposing Abandoned Buildings into Social Housing

Paul Yakubu — Wed, 22 May 2024 07:30:00 +0000

As the demand for affordable housing grows and the availability of low-cost properties diminishes, stakeholders in housing must become more innovative in their approach to social housing development. One opportunity lies in restoring and repurposing abandoned buildings. While building new houses remains the primary strategy for Housing Authorities and Associations, rehabilitating derelict buildings can be a more economical option. This approach not only maximizes the use of dilapidating infrastructure but also provides an economic opportunity to increase affordable housing within the city. Although rehabilitating derelict residential buildings may seem like an obvious solution, it becomes even more crucial when considering abandoned commercial, institutional, or historical buildings for social housing.

Willow Technologies Transforms Agricultural By-Products Into Building Materials in Ghana

Paul Yakubu — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Willow Technologies is a material research and building technology practice that has been selected as part of ArchDaily's 2023 Best New Practices. Founded by Ghanaian-Filipino designer and architectural scientist Mae-Ling Lokko, it operates in the gap between research, development, and diffusion of bio-based building materials. Working with agro-waste and bio-based materials usually incurs technical questions regarding scalability, industrial production, standardization, fireproofing, and mechanical strength. Exploring this data is where Willow Technologies situates itself, but peculiarly through the lens of developing regions in West Africa. Through comprehensive works with coconuts, moringa, rice, and other indigenous crops, Lokko’s practice has been able to investigate and catalog the material character of various crops, their possible by-products, local transformation techniques, and the prospect and challenges of scalability as building materials.

The Architectural Identity of the State House

Matthew Maganga — Sat, 11 Mar 2023 05:30:00 +0000

Known as the state house, the presidential palace, and an assortment of other terms — the building that hosts a country’s seat of government is usually quite architecturally striking. Frequently opulent, grand, and sometimes imposing, the state house is intended to function as a visually distinct marker of a nation — an extension of a state’s identity. In the African continent, a landmass that had seen a significant part of it colonized by European nations, this identity of statehood, in an architectural sense, is complex.

Nubuke Extended / nav_s baerbel mueller + Juergen Strohmayer

Hana Abdel — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Nubuke Extended completes and reorients the Nubuke campus, making it into a cultural and civic hub in the expanding metropolitan area of Accra and connecting it to a growing network of cultural spaces in Ghana.

Socialising, Commerce, and Trade: The African Market Hall in a Modernised World

Matthew Maganga — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 07:30:00 +0000

A few months ago – in July 2021, the 47-year-old Kariakoo Market went up in flames in Dar es Salaam. Designed by Tanzanian architect Beda Amuli, the market is a central landmark – a key part of Dar es Salaam’s commercial hub. Early images of a new Kariakoo Market show a taller structure, with six floors compared to the three in Amuli’s design. Conversations on social media have abounded on the new design, and if a “tower” typology is really the appropriate choice considering the unpopular nature of other similar “tower” market halls in Dar es Salaam.

Adjaye Associates Unveils Design for Ghana’s District Hospitals

Christele Harrouk — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 08:30:00 +0000

Adjaye Associates has been commissioned the design of district hospitals, part of the Agenda 111 initiative by the Ghana Government. The major vision for Ghana’s healthcare sector will consist of 111 Hospitals including 101 District Hospitals, 2 Psychiatric Hospitals, 7 Regional Hospitals, and the Redevelopment of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

Lessons from UN-Habitat: How to Design Spaces For and With the People?

Christele Harrouk — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 07:35:00 +0000

The Un-Habitat or the United Nations agency for human settlements and sustainable urban development, whose primary focus is to deal with the challenges of rapid urbanization, has been developing innovative approaches in the urban design field, centered on the active participation of the community. ArchDaily has teamed up with UN-Habitat to bring you weekly news, article, and interviews that highlight this work, with content straight from the source, developed by our editors.

Architecture in Global Socialism: Eastern Europe, West Africa, and the Middle East in the Cold War

Rene Submissions — Thu, 21 May 2020 13:15:00 +0000

In the course of the Cold War, architects, planners, and construction companies from socialist Eastern Europe engaged in a vibrant collaboration with those in West Africa and the Middle East in order to bring modernization to the developing world. Architecture in Global Socialism shows how their collaboration reshaped five cities in the Global South: Accra, Lagos, Baghdad, Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait City.

Łukasz Stanek describes how local authorities and professionals in these cities drew on Soviet prefabrication systems, Hungarian and Polish planning methods, Yugoslav and Bulgarian construction materials, Romanian and East German standard designs, and manual laborers from across Eastern Europe.

French Embassy in Accra / Segond-Guyon Architectes

Andreas Luco — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 06:00:00 +0000

The project is located within the French Ambassador Residence in Ghana. This site is remarkable due to the architecture value of the Building, rare colonial architecture from the 50’s, and the quality of the 3ha Park’s landscape. The architectural language of the new Embassy finds its inspiration in the respect of these two major components of the site.