Chicago Architecture Biennial's Place for Gathering

The Place for Gathering was Kéré Architecture’s contribution to the 2015 Chicago Architecture Biennial. The installation reflects two themes that are central to the work of Francis Kéré: maximising local resources and facilitating the exchange of ideas and knowledge. 

As a native of Burkina Faso, Kéré grew up in the village of Gando. Located at the edge of the Sahel, it has a very hot, dry climate and corresponding local resources. Many communities here are remote, and people support one another for the prosperity of the group as a whole. The community helps to rear and educate the children, build and maintain the housing and cultivate crops. In this sense, the community members can be seen as a great extended family. From an architectural standpoint, it is essential to designate spaces where people can come together and communicate. Whether for celebrating special events, having discussions about important decisions to be made, or simply gathering to share stories, these common spaces are vital for the everyday functions of the community.

The Chicago Architecture Biennial in its own way represents a community coming together with varying viewpoints from various places. Kéré Architecture wanted to make space within the historic Chicago Cultural Centre for visitors to reflect upon and discuss these ideas. Made simply with locally sourced wood, the Place for Gathering is a seating terrain where visitors can connect in an easy and informal way. Despite the great differences between Gando and Chicago, the intervention makes space for differing cultural narratives, traditions and aspirations to be celebrated and shared.