| Work Detail |
Work has started on the Centre des Cultures et Spiritualités Ewés (CCSE), designed by Berlin-based Kéré Architecture for the town of Notsé in southern Togo.
The CCSE will be formed of low-rise structures made from red laterite brick, built around the historic Agbogbo wall and the Agbogbodzi Sanctuary, sacred to the principal deity of the Ewé people. These include an open-air amphitheatre, exhibition halls, an auditorium and a reconstructed royal palace.
The heart of the CCSE will be a spiral-shaped building that represents the connection between divinity, the heavens and the Ewé’s ancestors.
A gateway inspired by the Ewé royal stool, a symbol of power, marks the entrance to the site. The exhibition halls will show historical artefacts and modern works.
The project is being developed by the Kothor Foundation, led by Kokou Djifanou Kothor. He said the project aimed to “place the light of the past into the hands of the present in order to illuminate the future”.
Francis Kéré, the founder of Kéré Architecture, added: “It is a joy to see how ideas and techniques embedded within my work have become widely accepted on the continent.
“This centre will provide a space for the Ewé people to express and preserve their identity, celebrating their culture in an inspiring and inclusive way.”
The CCSE is due to be completed by February 2026. |
