chicago architecture biennial: francis kéré architecture

francis kéré provides a place for gathering at the chicago architecture biennial
image by tom harris / © hedrich blessing

berlin-based architect francis kéré has designed a wooden ‘place of gathering’ at chicago’s inaugural architecture biennial. the scheme broaches two themes that are fundamental to kéré’s work: maximizing local materials, and facilitating the exchange of ideas and knowledge. as a native of burkina faso, kéré grew up in the rural village of gando, a place with very challenging climatic conditions and limited resources. the region is home to many remote settlements, and community members depend on one another for the survival and prosperity of the group as a whole.

the seating has been installed within the historic chicago cultural center
image by steve hall / © hedrich blessing

‘the community helps to rear and educate the children, build and maintain the housing, and cultivate crops that help to sustain the village,’ explains the design team. ‘in this sense, the village community can be seen as a great extended family. from an architectural standpoint, it is essential to designate spaces where people can come together and communicate. whether for celebrating special events, having discussions about important decisions to be made, or simply coming together to gossip and share stories.’

the design team sought to design a space for visitors to reflect and communicate
image by tom harris / © hedrich blessing

as the biennial can be viewed as a coming together of the architectural community, kéré sought to design a space for visitors to both reflect and communicate. located inside the historic chicago cultural center, the installation is constructed from locally-sourced wood, forming a terrain where guests can connect in an informal yet direct way. despite the vast differences between gando and chicago, the intervention makes room for a variety of cultural narratives, traditions and aspirations.

see designboom’s comprehensive coverage of the chicago architecture biennial here.

the installation is constructed from locally-sourced wood
image by tom harris / © hedrich blessing

the terrain allows guests to connect in an informal yet direct way
image by tom harris / © hedrich blessing

axonometric drawing of the seated terrain

conceptual drawing indicating the importance of communal gathering points

the chicago architecture biennial provides a platform for groundbreaking architectural projects and spatial experiments that demonstrate how creativity and innovation can radically transform our lived experience.

the inaugural chicago architecture biennial, north america’s largest international survey of contemporary architecture, launched in october 2015. through its constellation of exhibitions, full-scale installations, and program of events, the biennial invites the public to engage with and think about architecture in new and unexpected ways, and to take part in a global discussion about the future of the field.

the chicago architecture biennial is the vision of mayor rahm emanuel for a major international architectural event and an outcome of the comprehensive cultural plan developed by chicago’s department of cultural affairs and special events. it is presented through the support of BP, and in partnership with the city of chicago and the graham foundation for advanced studies in the fine arts.

the chicago architecture biennial remains open to the public until january 3, 2015.