Centre des Cultures et Spiritualités Ewés
Under Construction
2022 - ongoing
Notsé, Togo
7 000 m2
Diébédo Francis Kéré, Kéré Architecture
Jaime Herraiz Martínez, Andrea Maretto, Léa Sodangbe
Jaime Herraiz Martínez, Nataniel Sawadogo, Alimadjai Boukari
Jeanne Autran-Edorh, Philippe Chazée, Yonas Tukuabo, Leonne Voegelin, Sika Azamati, Daniel Meléndez, Bagré Annicé, Onadja Augustin
Fondation Kothor / LA GMA SA
Ingenovatech (Burkina Faso)
The Centre des Cultures et Spiritualités Ewés (CCSE) is a visionary cultural project initiated by the Kothor Foundation and designed by Kéré Architecture in the town of Notsé, Togo. The CCSE celebrates the rich heritage of the Ewé people, honoring their history, traditions, and spirituality through a thoughtfully crafted masterplan and series of buildings that merge cultural symbolism with innovative design.
The project centers around the historic Agbogbo wall, a sacred enclosure with deep cultural significance, and the Agbogbodzi Sanctuary, dedicated to the Ewé’s principal deity. These elements are interwoven into a landscape of fluid, low-rise structures crafted from locally abundant and climate-appropriate red laterite bricks. The design integrates natural ventilation, patios with lush greenery, and strategically placed light shafts to create a serene and sustainable environment.
At the heart of the CCSE, a spiraling tower symbolizes the connection between divinity, ancestors, and the heavens, while an iconic gateway inspired by the Ewé royal stool—a symbol of power—marks the entrance to the site. Within the center, visitors will find spaces for reflection, education, and celebration, including a sanctuary, temples, an open-air amphitheater, exhibition halls, an auditorium, and a reconstructed royal palace of the Ewé Kingdom.
The CCSE aims to serve as a dynamic hub for Ewé culture, offering a platform to preserve ancestral knowledge while fostering contemporary expression. Exhibition halls will showcase historical artifacts alongside modern works, while community spaces such as restaurants and meeting areas invite local and international visitors to engage with Ewé traditions.
This ambitious project reflects a commitment to honoring the past while illuminating the future, as expressed by Kokou Djifanou Kothor, founder of the Kothor Foundation: "To honor our traditions is to place the light of the past into the hands of the present in order to illuminate the future."
Construction of the CCSE began in October 2024 and is set for completion in February 2026. It is Kéré Architecture’s first project in Togo, adding to the studio’s growing portfolio of culturally significant works across West Africa, including the Benin National Assembly, the Goethe Institute in Dakar, and a mausoleum for Thomas Sankara in Ouagadougou.
For Francis Kéré, the CCSE is a testament to the power of architecture as a catalyst for cultural celebration and community empowerment: "It is a joy to see how ideas and techniques embedded within my work have become widely accepted on the continent. This center will provide a space for the Ewé people to express and preserve their identity, celebrating their culture in an inspiring and inclusive way."
The Centre des Cultures et Spiritualités Ewés (CCSE) is a visionary cultural project initiated by the Kothor Foundation and designed by Kéré Architecture in the town of Notsé, Togo. The CCSE celebrates the rich heritage of the Ewé people, honoring their history, traditions, and spirituality through a thoughtfully crafted masterplan and series of buildings that merge cultural symbolism with innovative design.
The project centers around the historic Agbogbo wall, a sacred enclosure with deep cultural significance, and the Agbogbodzi Sanctuary, dedicated to the Ewé’s principal deity. These elements are interwoven into a landscape of fluid, low-rise structures crafted from locally abundant and climate-appropriate red laterite bricks. The design integrates natural ventilation, patios with lush greenery, and strategically placed light shafts to create a serene and sustainable environment.
At the heart of the CCSE, a spiraling tower symbolizes the connection between divinity, ancestors, and the heavens, while an iconic gateway inspired by the Ewé royal stool—a symbol of power—marks the entrance to the site. Within the center, visitors will find spaces for reflection, education, and celebration, including a sanctuary, temples, an open-air amphitheater, exhibition halls, an auditorium, and a reconstructed royal palace of the Ewé Kingdom.
The CCSE aims to serve as a dynamic hub for Ewé culture, offering a platform to preserve ancestral knowledge while fostering contemporary expression. Exhibition halls will showcase historical artifacts alongside modern works, while community spaces such as restaurants and meeting areas invite local and international visitors to engage with Ewé traditions.
This ambitious project reflects a commitment to honoring the past while illuminating the future, as expressed by Kokou Djifanou Kothor, founder of the Kothor Foundation: "To honor our traditions is to place the light of the past into the hands of the present in order to illuminate the future."
Construction of the CCSE began in October 2024 and is set for completion in February 2026. It is Kéré Architecture’s first project in Togo, adding to the studio’s growing portfolio of culturally significant works across West Africa, including the Benin National Assembly, the Goethe Institute in Dakar, and a mausoleum for Thomas Sankara in Ouagadougou.
For Francis Kéré, the CCSE is a testament to the power of architecture as a catalyst for cultural celebration and community empowerment: "It is a joy to see how ideas and techniques embedded within my work have become widely accepted on the continent. This center will provide a space for the Ewé people to express and preserve their identity, celebrating their culture in an inspiring and inclusive way."
