Dakar: The Latest Architecture and News

The Board of La Biennale di Venezia has just announced the appointment of Koyo Kouoh as the Director of the Visual Arts Department. Kouoh will lead the curation of the 61st International Art Exhibition, scheduled for 2026. This announcement follows a recommendation by Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, President of La Biennale, who emphasized Kouoh's extensive experience in the global art world and her ability to engage with contemporary artistic and cultural discourse. Born in Cameroon, Koyo Kouoh will become the first African woman to curate the Venice Art Biennale.

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Traveling on land through vast regional areas of African countries has been an inefficient ordeal, particularly in West Africa. Google Maps optimistically estimates it would take 53 hours to drive nonstop from Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, to Dakar, Senegal's capital. However, this estimate doesn't account for the poor road infrastructure, complex border crossings, and socio-economic challenges that realistically extend the journey to about a week.

This is why the ongoing Trans-West African Coastal Highway project offers a great opportunity to connect and unlock the region's potential. This project, also known as TAH 7, is a transnational highway initiative linking 12 West African coastal nations, from Mauritania in the northwest to Nigeria in the east. Its gradual construction opens new avenues for freight movement, rail infrastructure, and, more importantly, innovative forms of architecture around borders, addressing their unique socio-cultural functions.

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A city that defies expectations, this is what many visitors often express about the Senegalese capital, Dakar. As Africa's most western port city, which gained independence from the French in 1960, Dakar is a regional hub for diversity and culture. While it's often described as an unexpectedly sleek and "modern" city, with its characteristic and sometimes colorful monolithic buildings, Dakar is in fact in constant development and each of its districts tends to reflect a different style and focus, depending on its inhabitants and the dominating functions.

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Dakar is a city of constant development. From colonial times, and on, the capital of Senegal has seen a lot of shifts in its societal definition which has, in turn, affected its architectural and urban fabric. Ever since the French mandate which somewhat forced a shift of local living traditions into a more 'European' lifestyle, the wheels of change have been set in motion. Afterward, a notable post-colonial attempt at re-defining Dakar was inevitable. It came about in many ways, still seen today, and it built a city of mixed architectural languages that defies most visitors' expectations.

Though the renowned African mid-century modernism was certainly present in the years after Senegal's independence in 1960, this was mostly due to its popularity with practicing architects in the region, not its relevance for the capital's rebuilding efforts. The modernist approach, which was mainly seen in the public, institutional, and cultural buildings, and which persists today in a more undefined contemporary style, was always aimed at showcasing Dakar to the world. It did not, however, reflect the reality of the city's development nor the way its dwellers live.

In an effort to refocus on Dakar, some of our more recent ArchDaily coverage has highlighted the many development and design efforts that look to provide a better means of living to inhabitants.

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When the winners of the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture are announced every three years, the architecture celebrated is arguably the best, most important work found around the world. While the 2022 cycle announcements are imminent, looking back at the six project laureates from 2019 proves to be a fruitful review.

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