An African architect’s profound message about climate change, built under a tree in London

For the first time, an African architect has designed London’s prestigious Serpentine Pavilion. This year, Francis Kéré will take center stage in what has become a global architectural and design event. The Burkinabe architect plans to use the pavilion as a platform to discuss the impact of climate change and humanity’s communal responsibility to preserve the natural environment.

Each year since 2000, the Serpentine Gallery commissions a temporary structure from one of the world’s best architects, which is erected in London’s Kensington Gardens over the summer. Kéré joins a global architectural elite that includes the likes of trailblazing British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid and veteran French architect Jean Nouvel. Like his predecessors, Kéré wanted to bring to the London garden a sense of the cultural identity and historical perspective he represents.

Kéré grew up in the town of Gando in Burkina Faso, where the ever-encroaching Sahara desert made him painfully aware of the human impact of climate change. This perspective that led to his creation of an innovative primary school that utilized traditional clay bricks with modern techniques to create a more robust structure for the children of Kéré’s home village. It’s also informed the inspiration behind this year’s pavilion.

https://qz.com/1036958/an-african-architects-profound-message-about-climate-change-built-under-a-tree-in-london/

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