This research aims at dissecting a sample of West African architecture. Coming from Benin Republic, yet having globally lived and worked, I want to research what makes our architecture what it is, its ipseity, of what architecture is or was like in the south coast of Benin Republic. In particular I want to find an emanation I can take to the future of architecture in that part of the world. Something to move forward that is more infused with independently chosen values of decolonisation, authenticity, independence and pride. The aim is to ignite the debate for young Africans designers and architects, for politics about the importance of culture, architecture.

I thus wish to have an opportunity to explore, dissect our traditional architecture in an imaginative way. Eventually to bridge the gap between past and future and hope to extract useful mechanisms for contemporary architecture. 

The project will be based on the seminal work of Kemi Amede, a Beninese fellow architect. Her work is entitled “Les mécanismes sociaux et religieux à l’œuvre dans la vision et la conception traditionnelle de l’espace à Porto-Novo”. She did a semiologic research of the architecture of Honmè Palace, in the Kingdom of Adjatchè, nowadays Porto Novo. Her endeavor was to understand the mechanism underpinning architectural designs with means of representation that were not technically architectural. With the aid of door heights, steps, libation altars, protection amulets etc she drew the palace, translating its 3 dimensions into another narrative.