BENIN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY NEW BUILDING BY KÉRÉ ARCHITECTURE

Images by Kéré Architecture

As a result of enlargement, Benin Republic envisioned the ideal of a new National Assembly Complex that demonstrate the values of democracy and the cultural identity of its citizens in 2018. In that regards, Kéré Architecture’s design concept for the exclusive project was unveiled in the community’s interest as they pay homage to the region’s tradition of meeting under the palaver tree.

The exclusive national assembly building design came in form of vernacular architecture that communicates the tradition of the community in Porto-Novo, the capital of Benin Republic in West Africa, as part of the original bigger masterplan with a public park showcasing Benin’s native flora while providing Porto-Novo with an extensive recreation space according to Designboom website. The design team placed the assembly hall on the ground floor with a structure that supports the building’s other programs on the upper level which comprised of offices and auxiliary functions set back from the deep façade that filters the strong sunlight.

In inventive manner, the building’s ‘trunk’ is hollow, with a central courtyard that give rooms to circulation spaces to be naturally ventilated and indirect light to penetrate the structure. The assembly hall is connected to the offices above with a spiral staircase at the center of the courtyard as a roof terrace gives sweeping views over the city and the lagoon in the distance. The site southeast corner has a public square that marks the civic facade of the building, across from the former national assembly building, a historic place where Benin Republic independence was declared long ago.

According to Jeanne Autran-Edorh, the project architect, as quoted by Designboom website, ‘our aim was to design a civic building serving the institution as much as the public of Porto-Novo,’ ‘to achieve this we conceived a large canopy structure that hosts the assembly hall and also creates an emblematic shaded public space, accessible to all.’ 

According to Arc. Francis Kéré, as quoted by Designboom website, ‘the Benin National Assembly marks an important next step for our studio,’ ‘this project gives shape to our ideas about community gathering, the importance of indigenous forms of governance and what contemporary African architecture can be on a national scale. I am honored by the trust that has been placed in us, and am grateful that together we can build a new house of democracy for the Republic of Benin.’

Project Info:

Title:Benin National Assembly Location:Porto-Novo, Republic of Benin
Type:Civic Parliament House
Size: 35,000 sqm – 376,737 sqf
Design:November 2018 – December 2020
Construction:March 2021
Status:Planning

Architect: Kéré Architecture, Débédo Francis Kéré, Berlin, Germany
Design Team:Project Architect: Jeanne Autran-Edorh; Architects: Alexandra Zervudachi, Kinan Deeb, Javier Mola Cardenes; Kéré Architecture, Berlin, Germany
Contributors:Andrea Maretto, Leonne Vögelin, Charles André, Ismaël n’Faly Camara, Léon Bührer, Malak Nasreldin; Kéré Architecture, Berlin, Germany
Project Management:Jeanne Autran-Edorh, Fabiola Büchele; Kéré Architecture, Berlin, Germany
Construction Management:Contact Architect: Ecoplan, Cotonou, Benin; Local Management: SImAU, Cotonou, Benin
Engineering:Aecom, London, UK; Sahel-Ingenierie Dakar, Senegal
Client:Republic of Benin Minister of Living Environment and Sustainable Development

Edited by MJ for Buildace Magazine