Steel canopies shade the spaces of the Kamwokya Community Centre in Kampala, Uganda, designed by Berlin studio Kéré Architecture.
Located in one of Kampala’s poorest areas, the cluster of brick buildings provides multipurpose spaces for community activities, organised around a large sports court and play area at its centre.
According to the studio, “the project aims to transform the community by becoming a source of inspiration and pride that in turn can create a sense of agency and ownership”.
“The goal of the project is to maintain and enhance the public and free character of the site, seeking not to impose, but to gently uplift it,” explained Kéré Architecture.
“The playground provides a more conducive space for the activities already happening on site, such as sports training and matches, spontaneous gatherings, community events, workshops, music and dance classes,” it added.
This platform is used to create subtle changes in level across the site that differentiates between areas, with the playing ...
...field slightly sunken and surrounded by tribune-like steps that allow the community to watch games or gather informally.
Each of these blocks is topped by a steel butterfly roof, raised above the walls to provide natural ventilation and airflow through grille-like spaces and to facilitate the collection of rainwater into nearby tanks.
Termite mounds inform Kéré Architecture’s design of Kenyan education campus
Other recent work by his studio includes the Senegal headquarters of the non-profit Goethe-Institut and a campus for the non-profit organisation Learning Lions in Kenya, which features terracotta-hued towers.
Architect
Kéré ArchitectureClient: Ameropa Foundation, Kamwokya Christian Caring CommunityLocal architect: J E Nsubuga & AssociatesGeneral contractor: Soleco Construction Structural engineer: AECOM