Review: Francis Kéré: Radically Simple

Internationally known for his penetrating insights into the art and social conscience of architecture, Burkina Faso-born Diébédo Francis Kéré has always been eons ahead of his peers. This first monograph thoughtfully presents the stunning forward-thinking oeuvre that earned him the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2004 and countless other awards.

More than 200 pages and 120 colour images demonstrate his commitment to educational, social and cultural structures that celebrate the ethos of those citizens for whom he designs. His Songtaaba Women’s Center, Surgical Clinic and Health Center, and Lycée Schorge Secondary School are stunning examples in Burkina Faso; and his projects in China, Germany and Spain are equally exceptional. He even designed the Obama Legacy Campus (2015) in Kenya for the Mama Sarah Obama Foundation (MSOF), the foundation created by the sole living grandparent of former US President Barack Obama.

Ideal for architects, designers and anyone interested in the future of these disciplines, this exceptional new volume reveals Francis Kéré’s ability to translate design into a language of hope and international global responsibility.

Francis Kéré: Radically Simple

Edited with text by Andres Lepik, Ayça Beygo.

Hatje Cantz/D.A.P. Publishing