Kunlé Adeyemi’s Floating Music Hub kicks off the party in Cape Verde
The Floating Music Hub in Cape Verde, by NLÉ, opens to the public offering a cultural venue like no other
Kunlé Adeyemi's Floating Music Hub in Cape Verde has just opened its doors to the public. Designed by the architect and his Amsterdam and Lagos based studio, NLÉ, the project has been one of the West African region's most highly anticipated cultural projects – also scooping the top spot in the Best Music Venue category in the 2021 Wallpaper* Design Awards.
This island nation has a rich cultural heritage, and it is exactly this that the project, a collaboration between Adeyemi and Mali-born sustainable solutions pioneer Samba Bathily, was designed to celebrate. ‘[Bathily] wanted to do something with music in Mindelo and create a recording studio there,’ Adeyemi told us in early 2021, when the project won the Wallpaper* gong. ‘So we expanded the idea to a floating hub to be part of the narrative of this port city, as Cape Verde was historically one of the last points of departure from Africa during the transatlantic slave trade, leading to the births of great new genres of music. It tells a story about that journey and a history of African people and their diaspora.’
Using his Makoko Floating System (MFS), a prefabricated, modular, A-frame, sustainable timber structure that was first realised in 2012 as the Makoko Floating School in Lagos, the architect created a family of pavilions that float just off the shore in Mindelo, on the island of São Vicente. The project's four elements, a small, medium and large wing, connected by a central triangular plaza that links to dry land, can hold about 300 people. Facilities include a performance space, a bar and canteen, and a recording studio to cater to a variety of needs. The complex is made of sapele hardwood, cleverly combined with stainless steel and aluminium to help the hub withstand the harsh ocean conditions.
Open to all now, to attend musical festivities, book for private events or just go to experience its scenery, views and hospitality offering, the Floating Music Hub is ready to take bookings. ‘It’s a way to expand Cape Verde’s cultural impact, create a platform for local musicians, and bring international artists to record and co-create,’ Adeyemi said.
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 & Environment Director 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), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
First look: Western Mongolia meets Kew Gardens in John Pawson and Oyuna Tserendorj’s cashmere throws
Architectural designer John Pawson and cashmere designer Oyuna Tserendor have collaborated on a cashmere throw collection inspired by Pawson’s 70m Lake Crossing in the Royal Botanical Gardens
By Scarlett Conlon Published
-
How to buy art: the accessible new market
Thanks to a growing pool of art advisers, digital intelligence and collector groups, buyers are better equipped than ever
By Annabel Keenan Published
-
The coolest design-led coffee shops in Seoul
Seoul counts more coffee shops per capita than any other city in the world – cut straight to our six must-visit spots
By Robert Schneider Published
-
A Somali café by Omar Degan supports community in Mogadishu
Arbe, a Somali café by Omar Degan, offers a gathering hub for the community in Mogadishu
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Venice turns into ‘laboratory of the future’ with 18th Architecture Biennale opening
Curator Lelsey Lokko’s theme, ‘The Laboratory of the Future’, brings passion, intensity and imagination to the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023, while placing Africa at its heart
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Kéré Architecture’s Uganda community centre provides safety and opportunity
A Uganda community centre created by Kéré Architecture was designed with development in mind
By Martha Elliott Published
-
The pioneering architecture of Nigerian artist-designer Demas Nwoko
The work of pioneering Nigerian artist-designer Demas Nwoko has stood the test of time; as he is awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Biennale Architettura 2023
By Ijeoma Ndukwe Last updated
-
Talent House opens in east London to nurture diverse talent in the arts
The Talent House is an enclave for London’s future arts talent
By Josh Fenton Last updated
-
Twin cultural destination Photo Elysée and Mudac completed in Lausanne
Architecture studio Aires Mateus completes its building to house Photo Elysée and Mudac in Lausanne, Switzerland
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
The Africa Centre reopens to celebrate culture and community
The Africa Centre has reopened to a design by London-based architecture studio Freehaus, and is ready to support community and cultural exchange from its new Southwark home
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Mariam Issoufou Kamara to design Bët-bi museum in Senegal
Mariam Issoufou Kamara, founder of Atelier Masōmī in Niger, has been selected by a jury to lead the design of the new Bët-bi museum in the Senegambia region of West Africa
By Hannah Silver Last updated