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
设计师 Francis Kéré将Thomas Sankara纪念馆设计成了缅怀之地,可以供人们学习、活动和冥想。建立该纪念馆的主要目的是让参观者学习Sankara的信念和理想,即发展农业学会自给自足的生活、解放妇女、重新构思非洲治理方法等领导理念。场地内87m的高塔高耸入云,成为该城市的新地标,设计师设计高塔的目的是体现Sankara的坚忍不拔和永不妥协的精神,并吸引着游客们登塔缅怀。
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建筑事务所设计了Thomas Sankara纪念碑
Kéré Architecture to complete Memorial Thomas Sankara
当Kéré被问到建筑建设的效果时,他表明希望建筑建成之后可以达到令人们惊叹的地步,还表明了政府机构以及Thomas Sankara纪念碑国际委员会在项目建设中发挥了重大作用。Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo总理还与Kéré建筑师见面并了解项目的相关进展情况,并表明政府将会致力于用文化地标来推动社会经济发展的决心。
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.
▲ 项目用地面积为9760㎡,位于Burkina Faso的首都
located in Burkina Faso’s capital city, Ouagadougou, extending across 9,760 square meters
▲ 项目位于1987 年Sankara和其战友遭暗杀的那片土地上
located over the very site where Sankara and his comrades were assassinated in 1987
▲ 场地内建有87m的高塔,高耸入云
a new tower rises 87 meters
▲ 高塔可供游客攀登,并提供有沉思冥想空间
a journey of contemplative ascent
▲ 该建筑具有纪念性,内部设计有多媒体图书室、工作室、餐厅以及办公室,功能齐全
a network of commemorative public spaces, including a media library, ateliers, restaurants, and offices