A new book surveys the work of Francis Kéré

Ventilation systems are built into this Francis Kéré-designed building to deflect heat

(Image credit: press)

last updated 17 October 2022

A first survey of the work of Francis Kéré, titled Radically Simple, has been published by Hatje Cantz, tying in with an exhibition of his work at the Architekturmuseum at the Technical University of Munich. Recognised for his socially engaged architectural design, Kéré combines cultural and ecological factors to create buildings which are intelligent to their contexts.

The book curates an overview of his design work, presenting projects from temporary structures and exhibition design to the works he is most well-known for. These include his first project, an elementary school in Gando, Burkina Faso, which won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2004, and also his design for the Operndorf Afrika (Africa Opera Village Africa) with German theatre director Christoph Schlingensief, initiated in 2009.

*The architect works with locally-sourced materials which are low-tech and sustainable*

Currently based in Berlin – he studied at the city's Technical University – Kéré was born in Burkino Faso, where he has completed numerous projects informed by his acute understanding of the cultural landscape, employing local materials and understanding of ecological requirements.

Committed to the communication of his design principles, Kéré has held exhibitions internationally, presenting sensitive installations in locations such as London, Milan, Chicago and Humlebæk, yet the Ayça Beygo-curated exhibition at the Architekturmuseum will be the largest of his works to date.

With contributions from Lesley Lokko, Kerstin Pinther and Peter Herrle, and new images by photographer and video artist Daniel Schwartz, the publication looks to illustrate the international scope of the architect’s designs and inspire a new generation of ethically-minded architects.

Francis Kéré’s Lycée Schorge in Koudougou, Burkina Faso, completed in 2016.

Operndorf Afrika, which Kéré designed in collaboration with Christoph Schlingensief, is a 30-acre complex for theatre and music education

Kéré has completed a number of educational projects in Burkina Faso

Employing locals to build his designs, Kéré has also trained many workers in skills from carpentry to brickmaking

INFORMATION

Radically Simple, published by Hatje Cantz, €34.80. ‘Francis Kéré: Radically Simple’ will be on show until 26 March 2017. For more information, visit the Hatje Cantz website and the Architekturmuseum at the Technical University of Munich website

ADDRESS

Architekturmuseum at the Technical University of Munich
Arcisstrasse 21
80333 Munich

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Harriet Thorpe is a writer, journalist and editor covering architecture, design and culture, with particular interest in sustainability, 20th-century architecture and community. After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London, she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine, amongst other titles. She is author of The Sustainable City (2022, Hoxton Mini Press), a book about sustainable architecture in London, and the Modern Cambridge Map (2023, Blue Crow Media), a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge, the city where she grew up.

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