Keynote Lecture by Francis Kéré
Serpentine Pavilion, London (Photo by Kéré Architecture)
* We are sorry to announce that, due to personal circumstances, Dr. Cindy Frewen is not able to join us today. However, we are delighted to have a lecture by Francis Kéré, which was originally hosted by AIA UK and the RIBA.*
Event Description
The internationally acclaimed architect Francis Kéré garnered critical praise from the beginning of his architectural practice when awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture (2004) for his first ever building - a primary school he designed, raised the funds for and realised in collaboration with the residents of his native Gando, Burkina Faso.
Kéré has gone on to become one of the most distinguished contemporary architects thanks to his pioneering of a communal approach to design and his commitment to sustainable materials, as well as modes of construction. Inspired by a curiosity for the particularities of any given locality and its social tapestry, he has gathered a diverse, agile team at his Berlin-based Kéré Architecture offices, to take on projects across four continents. Most prominently these include his design for the Burkina Faso National Assembly, the Léo Surgical Clinic & Health Centre (2014), the Lycée Schorge Secondary School (2016), the Serpentine Pavilion (2017) and Xylem (2019), a gathering pavilion for the Tippet Rise Art Center.
Underpinning his architectural practice are his past and current teaching engagements at TU München, the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, and Yale University as well as his participation in solo and group exhibitions including at the Venice Biennale of Architecture, the Museo ICO in Madrid, the Architekturmuseum in Munich, the MoMA in New York, the Royal Academy in London and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The architectural firm Kéré Architecture based in Berlin was founded in 2005 by the renowned Burkinabè architect Francis Kéré. Its practice is informed by a dual focus on design excellence and social commitment. It achieves this in close collaboration with the Kéré Foundation e.V. active in Gando, Burkina Faso.
Known for restrained elegance of structure, pioneering use of material and an inclination towards building in regions unchartered by much of contemporary architecture, the studio has been the recipient of numerous awards. Kéré Architecture’s portfolio spans a wide spectrum of projects from civic infrastructure to temporary installations, from concept to execution and across diverse geographies.
CES: 1.0 LU/HSW for AIA members
Speaker
