Architects Directory alumnus: Atelier Masomi
The Wallpaper* Architects Directory has turned 20. Conceived in 2000 as our index of emerging architectural talent, this annual listing of promising practices, has, over the years, spanned styles and continents; yet always championing the best and most exciting young studios and showcasing inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. To mark the occasion, in the next months, we will be looking back at some of our over-500 alumni, to catch up about life and work since their participation and exclusively launch some of their latest completions. Drawing on local climate, materials and vernacular, Niamey's new cultural centre by Mariam Kamara will be a valuable hub for the arts in the region, but also feel at one with its environment. Kamara's studio, Atelier Masomi, was first featured in the 2019 Architect Directory.

Today's Niamey is a city in the midst of transformation. The capital of Niger was originally built by the French during colonisation and as such, was created in a way that enhanced the different treatment of parts of its population – the Gounti Yena valley was one of the barriers between two key parts of the city, the more and the less wealthy layers of society.
Now, the city aims to completely reinvent the valley, from a symbol of division to fertile ground for cultural growth and exchange, by populating it with arts and learning institutions, as well as a path that connects the two sides and the nearby riverbank. The newly announced Cultural Centre for Niamey, designed by Atelier Masomi's Mariam Kamara, is one of these important commissions.
The large scale project is set to house the first municipal library in the city since independence, as well as performance and arts spaces. Conceived to support the city's growing number of young, creative people, the centre will not only be a space for learning, but also a place where the local community can come together for talks and workshops.
Kamara, who was part of the 2019 Wallpaper* Architects Directory and previously mentored by Sir David Adjaye as part of the Rolex mentor/protégé initiative, shares a passion for rethinking contemporary architecture on the African continent with the Ghanaian-British architect. ‘The project is designed for the exterior spaces to be as important as the enclosed program with pedestrian paths and gathering spaces breaking what would have been a massive building into smaller structures,' she says. ‘The objective is to create a building that is a truly public space, democratic in its access and flexible in its use.'
Meanwhile, the architect, true to her signature approach, drew on the local context for inspiration when it came to forms and materials. The building acts as a shelter for outdoor spaces and passively stack-ventilates the enclosed ones, also collecting rainwater in designated ponds and underground tanks for reuse. The main material is raw earth brick, a nod to local vernacular architecture, but also one that makes ‘the buildings seem to grow from the ground', explains Kamara.
MORE FROM WALLPAPER* ARCHITECTS DIRECTORY 2020
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture Editor at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018) and Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020).
-
Paul & Shark hits the slopes with a Cortina ski resort takeover
‘Paul & Shark takes Cortina’ sees the label take over the Italian ski resort, kitting out the town’s ski club and Scoiattoli chalet
By Tianna Williams Published
-
The Bouroullecs’ ‘Belleville’ chair reimagined 53 ways for La Source Garouste auction
The ‘Belleville’ chair is spliced, diced and furrified for La Source Garouste’s charity auction, by designers from Christian Louboutin to Constance Guisset
By Francesca Perry Published
-
Samuel Ross’ Miami Design District benches swoop in for sculptural sit-downs
Samuel Ross’ Miami Design District ‘Expression.Service.Essence’ project comprises 12 bench designs permanently installed in the ever-evolving neighbourhood
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Minimalist architecture: homes that inspire calm
These examples of minimalist architecture place life in the foreground – clutter is demoted; joy promoted
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The finest brutalist architecture in London and beyond
For some of the world's finest brutalist architecture in London and beyond, scroll below. Can’t get enough of brutalism? Neither can we.
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globe
Modernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; check back soon for new additions to our list
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The iconic British house: key examples explored
New book ‘The Iconic British House’ by Dominic Bradbury explores the country’s best residential examples since 1900
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Loyle Carner’s Reading Festival 2023 stage presents spatial storytelling at its finest
We talk to Loyle Carner and The Unlimited Dreams Company (UDC) about the musical artist’s stage set design for Reading Festival 2023
By Teshome Douglas-Campbell Published
-
The Leaf is a feat of engineering and an ode to the Canadian Prairies
The Leaf in Winnipeg, Canada, is the first interactive horticultural attraction of its kind: a garden and greenhouse complex promoting a better understanding of how people can connect with plants
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Behind the V&A East Museum’s pleated façade
Behind the new V&A East Museum’s intricate façade is a space for the imagination to unfold
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Casa Monoculo offers a take on treetop living in Brazil
Casa Monoculo by architect Alan Chu is a house raised above the treetops in Alto Paraiso City, Brazil
By Ellie Stathaki Published