In Dakar, the Goethe-Institut has more than a new address. Built around a baobab tree, the complex provides an open setting for cultural education and exchange, signaling deference to local traditions alongside a broad global outlook.
The institute has been present in the Senegalese capital since the mid-1970s. Its new sustainable building complex was developed with support from the United Nations.
Architect Francis Kere: Sustainability as a mindset
Seven years ago, on a sandy plot, Francis Kere sketched the first ideas for the project. The Burkina Faso–born architect, who won the Pritzker Prize in 2022 and has received Japan’s Praemium Imperiale, aimed to fuse contemporary architecture with African building traditions. He chose an ancient material that keeps interiors cool: clay. By mixing Senegal’s red soil with a small amount of cement and pressing it into bricks, Kere sought a modern appearance from a familiar substance.
“People really feel honored and taken seriously,” Kere said of using a material local communities recognize. He adapted the clay to produce uniform pressed bricks, giving the design a contemporary look while grounding it in place.
Airy design made from clay
Clay was a deliberate choice: it enables thermal comfort without heavy mechanical cooling. The design uses shadowed façades, interlinked spaces and natural ventilation; only a few load-bearing elements rely on reinforced concrete. Pressed earth bricks contribute to a stable indoor climate while referencing long-standing Sahelian building practices.
Bioclimatic architecture in the heart of Dakar
Construction was managed by Dakar-based Worofila, the firm founded by Nzinga Mboup and Nicolas Rondet, which specializes in bioclimatic architecture — an approach that prioritizes passive cooling, cross-ventilation and local materials. Courtyards encourage airflow, and thick earthen walls stay cool during the day and slowly release stored coolness as temperatures rise. “Building with earth has something very essential and powerful that reconnects the body with the material,” says Nzinga Mboup. “It’s not something that can be explained — you have to experience it for yourself.”
By choosing earthen construction, the Goethe-Institut aims to demonstrate that large-scale sustainable building is feasible even as global conditions become more challenging.
Dakar is among Africa’s fastest-growing metropolitan regions, facing housing shortages, rising temperatures and increasing CO₂ emissions tied to concrete construction and energy-intensive air conditioning. Architectural scholar Lesley Lokko of Ghana emphasizes the urgency of alternative approaches: Africa’s rapid urbanization creates intense time pressure that must be used to drive immediate action.
A model for sustainable construction
A new generation of architects is again looking to earth as a future-facing material. The Dakar Goethe-Institut is intended as a model — showing how ancient knowledge, modern technology and social responsibility can converge, rooted in Africa’s red soil.
After years of building, the cultural institute is scheduled to open in Dakar on April 18, 2026. The Goethe-Institut Senegal also coordinates activities in The Gambia, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau.
This article was originally written in German.