A city that defies expectations, this is what many visitors often express about the Senegalese capital, Dakar. As Africa's most western port city, which gained independence from the French in 1960, Dakar is a regional hub for diversity and culture. While it's often described as an unexpectedly sleek and "modern" city, with its characteristic and sometimes colorful monolithic buildings, Dakar is in fact in constant development and each of its districts tends to reflect a different style and focus, depending on its inhabitants and the dominating functions.
Sprawling over the mostly flat and vast terrain, Dakar is split into many industrial, institutional, high-end residential/touristic, or culturally relevant quartiers. Each has its distinctive feel, though all are constantly in the works. There is a clear intention of redefining the capital's identity through its new construction. This often comes in different or contested forms, with more local architects looking into pre-colonial architecture and the upgrading/updating of local materials, such as Elementerre or Worofila who are working on promoting the use of earth construction in the city.
Many other works reflect the diverse interpretations that local and international architects have been setting for Dakar as seen in the below 10 projects.
International Trade Fair Centre / Jean-François Lamoureux and Jean-Louis Marin
Dakar International Conference Centre / Tabanlioglu Architects
Dakar Train Station / GA2D
Lycée Jean Mermoz / TERRENEUVE architectes
Women's centre in Rufisque / Hollmén-Reuter-Sandman Architects
Cite Scolaire Internationale – Campus Ngor / Atelier Kalm
Villa Fann Hock / MOST Monti Studio
Eglise de l'Epiphanie / In situ architecture + GA2D
Oikos a - Villa Patio / MOST Monti Studio
Mosque of the Divinity
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