Good Architecture

The Bank Square, designed by Adjaye and Associates presents a new dominate skyline in Accra. The proportions make sense.

Villa Savoye, Poissy - France.

Concrete and Clay

I remember how in Urban Design theory, creation of Vistas within cities are vital for reorienting one’s movement within the Urban space. The new Bank of Ghana building popped up on me driving through North Ridge. It’s a beautiful vista and a good addition to the Architectural landscape of Accra. I also rememver being on top of a building at Kanda and seeing it in the city’s skyline. Thanks to Architect David Adjaye.

I like how the Independence Avenue has morphed into the new High Street with all the major banks taking addresses there, lest you ate late. Stanchart, ABSA, ADB, Zenith, CalBank, Republic Bank, Ecobank, World Bank | IFC are all prestnt. It was only right the mother of all the banks relocated, and they came with a bang. My favourite building though will be the Ecobank Headquarters for obvious reasons. It’s a sensitive building that takes its energies from the Afua Sutherland park and the AU square.

The only thing I pray for is for the city authorities to properly pedestrianize that beautiful stretch. A landscape Architect can be commissioned to redesign the entire Avenue with greenery and street furniture. Thankfully, we managed to save the space close to the Physicians and Surgeon building and turned it into a beautiful public park, Place 100. I was deeply involved in that project and it gives me great joy to see it still thriving. We must make the city livable for all.

In the absence of resources, an adaptive Architecture ought to be promoted in our rural areas to solve the many developmental setbacks hindering the provision of safe and comfortable spaces. Using locally availble durable building materials, responding to the harsh climate, and possibly using locally availbale labour.

This example is an educational institution in Burkina Faso, The Burkina Institute of Technology [BIT]. It was designed by the Priztker laureate Diébédo Francis Kéré and completed in 2020 in Koudougou, Burkina Faso. The design response is appropriate, relatable and innovative. I particularly like the reimagined wooden louvre, which used to be popular some years back.

I remember paying a visit to Kéré’s Berlin office some years back and the many ongoing research in the application of local materials they had available. Thanks to Joe Addo who made it possible at a very short notice. There is enormous literature they have recorded, some even published. They have pushed the narrative to its end and gradually improving on the many construction technologies required to execute his brand of Architecture. The climate in the Northern part of Ghana is no different, we Architects in Ghana must explore It more.

The George Sturges House, designed by onr of my Architectural Idols Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939 and supervised by John Lautner built in Southern California. His ingenuity of always trying to build into nature with minimum impact on the environment is what kept him apart from his contemporaries. There is a striking similarity in language to the Kaufmann house in Southwestern Pennsylvania, popularly known as the FallingWater.

The Dutch Architect Rem Koolhaas’ firm, OMA designed this new addition to the Amsterdam skylines. The nhow Amsterdam RAI Hotel, the main hotel for RAI Amsterdam convention and exhibition centre and a new urban presence in Amsterdam’s rapidly developing Zuidas business district.

With a composition that stands out from its context, the stacked tower’s conceptual approach was inspired by “the triangular advertising column on the Europaplein which was once so prominent on the site but now has been overtaken by the many office buildings that have been erected in its vicinity”. Integrating the RAI convention and exhibition center in the city, the project embraces the dense flows of pedestrians, cyclists and automotive traffic that traverse the site.

INDULGE

Gensler, an American Architectural firm is proud to unveil their visionary design for Al-Ahly Football Club's first-ever home in Cairo.

Over 30 years in the making, this landmark stadium, part of a larger sports city district, will not only be a world-class venue for football but will also become a cultural and economic catalyst for the region. Designed with innovation at its core, it will be a true home for Al-Ahly's passionate fans and a year-round destination that will leave a lastina impact.

Credit: Gensler

Arne Jacobsen [1902–1971] was a Danish architect. Arne Jacobsen designed the Skovshoved Petrol Station outside of Copenhagen in 1936. The building's minimalist form is dominated by the projecting oval canopy which offers shade and shelter for filling motorists but, illuminated from beneath, also doubles as a sign at night. A bright red clock is built into the facade.

[Photo: Daan Kloeg / Modernist Collection]

SHEIKH ZAYED GRAND MOSQUE, Abu Dhabi, UAE.