Pritzker Prize-winning architect Francis Kéré (Kéré Architecture) reveals renders for the upcoming Memorial Thomas Sankara — a complex honoring the memory of the late revolutionary leader. The project is located in Burkina Faso’s capital city, Ouagadougou, extending across 9,760 square meters over the very site where Sankara and his comrades were assassinated in 1987. This particular location is marked by a preserved building and a new 87-meter-tall tower which invites a moment of reflection on the ideals that Sankara stood for as visitors journey to the ascent.
Encircled by water, the tower further forms part of a network of commemorative public spaces, including a media library, ateliers, restaurants, and offices, interwoven by a green promenade that invites visitors to engage with the principles that defined Sankara’s 1983 revolution — universal education, agricultural self-sufficiency, and social equity — embedding these ideas into the natural landscape. It was recently announced that the project’s first stage, the Mausoleum, is under construction with completion slated for the first half of 2025.
all images courtesy of Kéré Architecture
設計師 Francis Kéré將Thomas Sankara紀念館設計成了緬懷之地,可以供人們學習、活動和冥想。建立該紀念館的主要目的是讓參觀者學習Sankara的信念和理想,即發展農業學會自給自足的生活、解放婦女、重新構思非洲治理方法等領導理念。場地內87m的高塔高聳入云,成為該城市的新地標,設計師設計高塔的目的是體現Sankara的堅忍不拔和永不妥協的精神,并吸引著游客們登塔緬懷。
Francis Kéré envisions Memorial Thomas Sankara as both a site of remembrance and an active space for learning, gathering, and contemplation. Throughout, the complex remains a steadfast reminder of Sankara’s ideals and his leadership which was defined by radical self-sufficiency, food self-sufficiency, women’s emancipation, and a reimagining of African governance. The prominent tower, with a silhouette rising as a new urban landmark for the city, captures the figure’s resilience and uncompromising vision and invites those paying respect in an experiential ascent.
A helicoidal ramp spirals upward, symbolizing the arduous yet rewarding path of revolution. Along the way and at the top, those undertaking the climb are met with expansive views of the capital and a restaurant modeled in the contours of Burkina Faso. The architects have also integrated a suspended funicular cabin that offers an alternative route for those unable to undertake the journey on foot, ensuring accessibility for all. Outside, the water that surrounds the preserved building where the attack took place, creates a contemplative area for remembrance.
▲ Kéré建筑事務所設計了Thomas Sankara紀念碑
Kéré Architecture to complete Memorial Thomas Sankara
當Kéré被問到建筑建設的效果時,他表明希望建筑建成之后可以達到令人們驚嘆的地步,還表明了政府機構以及Thomas Sankara紀念碑國際委員會在項目建設中發揮了重大作用。Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo總理還與Kéré建筑師見面并了解項目的相關進展情況,并表明政府將會致力于用文化地標來推動社會經濟發展的決心。
While the space is primarily a commemoration of Thomas Sankara, Francis Kéré’s approach seeks not to simply monumentalize his legacy, but also activate the attached history. Architecturally, the memorial reflects the empowerment afforded by the revolution, though with a conciliatory approach, subtly integrating the complex into Ouagadougou’s urban landscape. Aligned with the city’s Green Belt initiative, it is additionally envisioned as a green lung, supplemented by the natural ventilation techniques employed by the architects throughout the complex’s inpidual structures.
Speaking on the progress of construction, Kéré expressed in a statement a desire to ‘amaze and surprise people,’ emphasizing the involvement of both governmental bodies and the International Committee of the Thomas Sankara Memorial in guiding the project. Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, who recently met with the architect to discuss the development, emphasized the government’s commitment to leveraging cultural landmarks as catalysts for socio-economic growth.
▲ 項目用地面積為9760㎡,位于Burkina Faso的首都
located in Burkina Faso’s capital city, Ouagadougou, extending across 9,760 square meters
▲ 項目位于1987 年Sankara和其戰友遭暗殺的那片土地上
located over the very site where Sankara and his comrades were assassinated in 1987
▲ 場地內建有87m的高塔,高聳入云
a new tower rises 87 meters
▲ 高塔可供游客攀登,并提供有沉思冥想空間
a journey of contemplative ascent
▲ 該建筑具有紀念性,內部設計有多媒體圖書室、工作室、餐廳以及辦公室,功能齊全
a network of commemorative public spaces, including a media library, ateliers, restaurants, and offices