Culture, Design Will Shape Future Of Africa’s Built Environment

Nigeria’s internationally acclaimed architect and cultural visionary, Papa Omotayo, has said that culture and design will soon play an essential role in creating an inclusive built environment in Africa.

Omotayo, who spoke on CNN’s Inside Africa’s Next Gen programme, said African cities such as Lagos will become one of the largest cities in the world population-wise in the next ten to twenty years. Thus, it would require creative and culturally designed spaces to ensure these cities welcome every aspect of their population.

“For us, it’s important to create sustainable, equitable spaces,” he said.

His practice, A Whitespace Creative Agency, has been dedicated to addressing the challenges of creating an inclusive and sustainable built environment by reimagining civic, cultural, and creative spaces for a new generation of creators in Nigeria since its founding in 2014.

Among its many projects across Africa, Whitespace’s projects include the Q-Dance Center Lagos, Lagos’ first contemporary dance centre; various building projects with the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) in Benin City that are redefining the concept of a regional museum and transforming colonial-era buildings into creative spaces; the Ijebu Workshop building in Ijebu, Lagos; and the Ngambi Nature Retreat in Uganda. These projects all reflect Whitespace’s commitment to sustainable, community-focused designs.

Although its roots remain firmly in Lagos, Nigeria, Omotayo’s firm operates across Africa. Socially impactful, his built and spatial designs are also collaborative, as he works with architects, artists, ecologists, and cultural programmers to create environments that enhance the human experience.