Diébédo Francis Kéré and his Berlin-based architectural firm are known for designing buildings that are good for the environment – and those who use them. Now, as part of its 'Creative Africa' season, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is hosting 'The Architecture of Francis Kéré: Building for Community'.
Kéré was born in Gando, a small village in Burkina Faso and has, through his work, strengthened his commitment to the community that raised him. His first building, a primary school in Gando, was completed in 2001 and received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
This new show features a site-specific, immersive environment designed by the world-renowned architect himself. According to the museum, the exhibition will emphasise 'the collaborative and collective nature of building, responding to local cultures, knowledge, materials, and technologies' that Kéré has embraced in his work. As American business magazine Fast Company explains, 'African-born architect Diébédo Francis Kéré gets big results by mixing a little mud with a lot of heart'.
Timothy Rub, the George D Widener director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, notes that, 'This season of related exhibitions will offer our visitors a wonderful opportunity to make connections between centuries-old traditions and contemporary artistic practices. We are especially grateful for the loan of a large number of works from the Penn Museum’s world-renowned collection, which will be presented in an exhibition that anchors our celebration of African art.'
It's a sentiment that directly reflects the international attention and acclaim Kéré has recently been receiving for his firm’s 'community-focused, contextually sensitive work'. This exhibition looks to lift Kéré from cult hero to lauded practitioner.
Kéré was born in a small village in Burkina Faso and has, through his work, strengthened his commitment to the community that raised him. Pictured: Gando Primary School. Burkina Faso, completed 2001, designed by Francis Kéré, Burkinabe, active Berlin.
Kéré's first building, a primary school in Gando, was completed in 2001 and received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Pictured: Gando Primary School extension, Burkinabe, active Berlin.
Timothy Rub of the Philadelphia Museum of Art notes that, 'This season of related exhibitions will offer our visitors a wonderful opportunity to make connections between centuries-old traditions and contemporary artistic practices'.
'We are especially grateful for the loan of a large number of works from the Penn Museum’s world-renowned collection, which will be presented in an exhibition that anchors our celebration of African art,' Rub continues. Pictured: Laongo CSPS Clinic, Burkinabe, active Berlin.
This exhibition looks to lift Kéré from cult hero to lauded practitioner. Pictured: Laongo CSPS Clinic's interior courtyard, Burkinabe, active Berlin.
INFORMATION
’The Architecture of Francis Kéré: Building for Community’ is on view until 25 September. For more information, visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s website
-
‘The ingredients have to work’: Six musicians on the key to crafting the perfect runway soundtrackChris Erik Thomas discovers the secret recipe to creating an impactful runway soundtrack from some of fashion’s leading producers, DJs and musicians who work with names from JW Anderson to Prada
-
Bringing BRAT to life: we meet the designers behind Charli XCX's victory-lap tourAn exclusive interview with Cour Design's Jonny Kingsbury, the stage and lighting designer behind Charli XCX's new BRAT tour
-
Apple’s new Mac mini is a pocket-sized powerhouse thanks to the M4 processorWith the new Mac mini, Apple has squeezed its M4 and M4 Pro processors into the smallest conceivable footprint, physically and environmentally. Apple insiders tell us how
-
Step inside a Brooklyn Brownstone that bridges old and new'Brooklyn Brownstone' has been refreshed by Jon Powell Architects (JPA) and the result is a contemporary design rooted in modern elegance
-
The new Frederic Church Center at Olana complements its leafy Upstate New York siteTour the Frederic Church Center for Art and Landscape, now open at Olana, a historic site in Upstate New York, courtesy of architecture studio ARO
-
On a sloped Los Angeles site, a cascade of green 'boxes' offers inside outside livingUnStack, a house by FreelandBuck, is a cascading series of bright green volumes, with mountain views
-
This New York brownstone was transformed through the power of a single, clever moveVoid House, a New York brownstone reimagined by architecture studio Light and Air, is an interior transformed through the power of one smart move
-
A new Texas house transforms a sloping plot into a multi-layered family homeThe Griggs Residence is a Texas house that shields its interior world and spacious terraces with a stone and steel façade
-
Light, nature and modernist architecture: welcome to the reimagined Longwood GardensLongwood Gardens and its modernist Roberto Burle Marx-designed greenhouse get a makeover by Weiss/Manfredi and Reed Hildebrand in the US
-
A bridge in Buffalo heralds a new era for the city's LaSalle ParkA new Buffalo bridge offers pedestrian access over busy traffic for the local community, courtesy of schlaich bergermann partner
-
Tour this Bel Vista house by Albert Frey, restored to its former glory in Palm SpringsAn Albert Frey Bel Vista house has been restored and praised for its revival - just in time for the 2025 Palm Springs Modernism Week Preview
