Surgical Clinic and Health Center, Léo, Burkina Faso, 2014. Designed by Francis Kéré, Burkinabe, active Berlin. Photograph courtesy of Kéré Architecture

Exhibition

The Architecture of Francis Kéré: Building for Community

May 14–September 25, 2016

Explore architect Francis Kéré's innovative designs in this site-specific installation.

This exhibition sheds light on Francis Kéré's inventive approach to building. Born in Burkina Faso and based in Berlin, Kéré integrates traditional knowledge and craft skills into innovative and sustainable buildings worldwide. In many of his projects, he maximizes local materials and community participation to reduce costs and ecological impact. This exhibition offers a look at some of his award-winning designs within an colorful interactive environment.

Time-lapse of Kéré's Colorscape installation

This exhibition is offered in conjunction with Creative Africa, a season devoted to African art and design.

Collab Gallery and the Skylit Atrium, first floor, Perelman Building

Main Building

Museum map

Primary School, Gando, Burkina Faso, 2001

Opera Village, Laongo, Burkina Faso, begun 2009

Centre de Santé et de Promotion Sociale, Laongo, Burkina Faso, 2014

About the Artist

“For me, architecture is about process, experimentation, and teamwork.”—Francis Kéré

As the first son of the head of Gando, his home village in Burkina Faso, Kéré was the only child allowed to attend school in a large city. He later attended the Technical University of Berlin, where he earned a diploma in architecture and engineering. While still a student, he established a charitable foundation, Bricks for Gando, and began to raise money to build a school there.

In Gando, Kéré combined traditional Burkinabe building techniques with modern engineering methods. In 2005 he founded his Berlin office and has since garnered acclaim for his work in Western Africa, Europe, and North America. He is the recipient of the 2014 Schelling Architecture Foundation Award, the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, and the BSI Swiss Architectural Award, among others.

Curators

Kathryn Bloom Hiesinger, The J. Mahlon Buck, Jr. Family Senior Curator of European Decorative Arts after 1700; and Colin Fanning, Curatorial Fellow in European Decorative Arts and Sculpture

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