Francis Kéré | Burkinabe Architect Based in Berlin
Francis Kéré becomes first African architect of Serpentine pavilion Serpentine Pavilion by Francis Kéré The architect is planning to bring one of his characteristically stripped-back structures, honed in the villages of his native Burkino Faso, to leafy west London. Author | Oliver Wainwright Source: The Guardian Newspaper Tuesday 21 February 2017 A huge wooden disc will float above the lawn in Kensington Gardens this summer, a wheel of spindly timber slats hovering over a bright blue landing pad like some rustic flying saucer. This is the vision of Diébédo Francis Kéré , the first African architect to be chosen to design the annual Serpentine gallery pavilion, who plans to bring one of his characteristically stripped-back structures, honed in the villages of his native Burkina Faso, to leafy west London. “The tree was always the most important place in my village,” he says, describing the inspiration for his design. “It is where people come together under the shade of its b...
