ARCH+ features 2: Diébédo Francis Kéré
The architect from Burkina Faso talks to Jörg Stollmann about participative approaches to planning.
For Diébédo Francis Kéré, the threshold has a decisive influence on architecture - not only in the Festival Opera House in Africa, which he brought to life in collaboration with Christoph Schlingensief, who has since died. In December 2010, Kéré was a guest of ARCH+ features together with Jörg Stollmann from the Technical University of Berlin.
"Particularly when building in extreme climates, the threshold spaces play an important role,” says Kéré. “Typically, people in Africa like very much to stay outside for leisure activities, so theatrical performances, concerts or even going to restaurants are often held outside. One reason for this is the fact that conventional buildings offer only poor protection from the heat, so shaded threshold spaces, for example under trees, are extremely important. My architecture is therefore designed in such a way, so that only a proportion of the rooms consists of enclosed spaces. A large proportion comprises dedicated shaded threshold spaces for learning, eating and playing, and is used a great deal."
Jörg Stollmann, Professor for Urban Development at Technical University of Berlin, talked to Kéré the special conditions which apply to building in Africa.
Jörg Stollmann
(photos: David von Becker)
© 2020 S. Siedle & Söhne OHG
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