Obafemi Awolowo University formerly known as The University of Ife was initially conceived in the early 1960’s in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, shortly after Nigeria gained its independence from the United Kingdom. Arieh Sharon, an Israeli architect and Bauhaus alumna, in collaboration with Nigerian office A.A. Egbor and AMY Company worked on the school’s structures and master plan for a span […]
Sudano-Sahelian style refers to the indigenous architecture of the Africans of the Sahel and Sudanian grassland. The buildings are typically built with mudbricks and adobe plaster. The architectural style is characterised by support beams (or scaffolds) that jut out from the wall face when used for indeginous mosques and palaces. These peculiarities make the buildings […]
1. Pineapple building This building is three stories tall, and was constructed by members of Bathurst’s agricultural community in the 1980s. It was made of metal and fibreglass.It was built to commemorate the breakthrough after a difficult farming situation experenced by farmers in the 18th century, which came when pineapples were planted.The building houses a […]
Featured Image Credit: Sapa Building System A curtain wall system is an outer covering of a building with non-structural outer walls, and it is used to keep the weather out and the occupants in. It can be made of lightweight materials to reduce the cost of construction, since it is just a facade, and does […]
Buildings, like humans, if not properly maintained, tend to show signs of dilapidation, and might eventually cave in, leading to loss of lives and properties. With the recent incessant collapse of structures in Lagos, Nigeria, it is imperative to look at ways to avoid a building collapse in the nearest future. Here are some recommendations […]
1. Faith Tabernacle, Nigeria: Faith Tabernacle is situated at Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. The facility has a capacity of 50,400 worshippers, and it is the largest church auditorium in the world in terms of capacity. The gigantic facility, which was constructed within 12 months, has no visible pillars within, so the gigantic roofing stands suspended […]
The architect, who was born in Tanzania, is designing the Gahanga International Children’s Cancer Hospital for a four-hectare site in Gahanga, a region to the south of Rwandan capital Kigali. sign Group, a nonprofit US firm, plans to start an architecture and design training centre in Kigali, Rwanda, to help address the “dearth of professional […]
The Calabar International Convention Center in the southeastern part of Nigeria is located in the scenic river delta of the Cross River State bordering Cameroun. The multi-functional and flexible building will also offer the citizens of Calabar a new cultural centre that will provide the setting for concerts, film festivals and exhibitions. The Calabar International […]
Africa is a land under construction. Last year, over $220 billion was spent on all kinds of building projects in the continent. While foreign architects have clamored to make their mark in the region, a range of local talent has also stepped forward to shape their landscape (and in some cases, export their aesthetic abroad). […]
In 2014, architect Jon Sojkowski created the first online database of African vernacular architecture, using photos he’d taken during his research trips to Zambia, Malawi, and Swaziland, as well as photos from Flickr and photographer submissions. So far, his database includes photos for 48 countries, and he’s asking more people to submit photos. African cities […]