Francis Kéré Envisions House of Parliament for Burkina Faso
The award-winning architect, who was born in the West African country, has proposed a dramatic new capitol to replace the former one destroyed during a 2014 revolt.
In late 2014, citizens of Burkina Faso overthrew the country’s dictatorial leader, President Blaise Compaoré, and set fire to the parliament house, leaving it a charred ruin in the capital city of Ouagadougou. Now Berlin-based architect Diébédo Francis Kéré, who grew up in the West African nation, has conceived a master plan for a new parliament complex.
Kéré says he was informally commissioned to design the project by the new head of the parliament last year and has since been meeting with government officials to push his concept forward. “They say it’s too visionary. I still have to convince them,” Kéré says. “I hope at least some of the ideas will stick.” His scheme is on view at the Architecture Biennale in Venice, which closes November 27.
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