“Architecture is more than art and much more than buildings”: a conversation with Francis Kéré
Meet Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Francis Kéré in an interview with Louisiana Channel in which he shares his vision for architecture. As the official note of the Pritzker Prize for Architecture says “through buildings that demonstrate beauty, modesty and invention, and through the integrity of its architecture and gesture, Keré graciously assumes the mission of this award”, in a continuous way “empowering and transforming community through of the architectural process”.
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After graduating in architecture at the Technical University of Berlin, Keré built the Gando Primary School, the first school in the village where he grew up, as well as his diploma project in 2004. The project was later recognized with the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture in the same year. year. Based in both Germany and Burkina Faso, Keré Architecture seeks to develop works at the “intersection of utopia and pragmatism”, exploring the boundary between Western architecture and local practices.
At present, Keré is well versed in ways of working with local materials such as wood and clay, with the local community often identifying traditional materials with a pre-modern stage of development. Although materials such as clay are connected to preconceived notions of poverty, Keré’s office has transformed them and used them to create a successful construction.
Kéré points out “If we learn to build with local materials, we will have a future. Architecture can bring a lot to a society like mine. Architecture makes people proud, just proud. And it can generate a lot of energy.” Kéré describes architecture as a social process, serving the purpose of integrating the individuals for whom it is built, making them feel as if the project was also theirs as well as theirs and the architect’s.
Believing is the first step towards opportunities for innovation, and naturally, people become part of it. Community membership is something Kéré cherishes, who wants her to actively participate in the process. Kéré’s work has gained international recognition as a result of these elements, notably through the involvement of his villagers in building their works to combine ethical commitment, environmental efficiency, and aesthetic quality.
In addition, there is an element of identification with these constructions in which participants are called to create pride, developing works that go beyond the conventional limits of architecture, touching on themes such as local economy, migration, culture, and equity. Kéré points out that this feeling, this catalyst of identities, as one of the strongest experiences – the notion of understanding the common value that is: “we did it”.
Francis Kéré shows us that architecture can be universal and yet an emotion to a successful extent to inspire the local community. With Kéré’s influence, architecture has since formed a pedagogical function, showing that the future can be a little more colorful.
For more architecture videos, visit ArchDaily’s full coverage of the Louisiana Channel interview series.
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