Togo 2025

Title: Considering Togo’s architectural heritage
Commissioner: Sonia Lawson, Founding Director of Palais de Lomé
Curator: Studio NEiDA (Jeanne Autran-Edorh and Fabiola Büchele)
Exhibitor: Palais de Lomé

The inaugural pavilion presents an exhibition exploring the architectural narratives of Togo from the turn of the 20th century, focusing on the themes of conservation and transformation.

Studio NEiDA takes us through the methodical documentation of Togo’s iconic architecture establishing a dialogue between conventional building practices to modernist construction techniques. The investigation of forms and materiality within West Africa’s built environment, from the ancient Nôk cave dwellings to the traditional construction techniques is exemplified by the Tatas Tamberma in northern Togo. The unique fusion of Afro-Brazilian architecture, developed by freed slaves who returned from Brazil, from the period from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s is uncovered, alongside remarkable instances of modernist architecture that emerged following the nation’s independence.

This approach invites a broader perspective of the understanding of the architectural landscape of Togo and serves as an exemplary representation of its rich heritage.