The city of Nairobi will host the first edition of the Pan-African Architecture Biennale, to be held from 1 September 2026 at the iconic Kenyatta International Convention Centre. The continental event will bring together design, urban planning and architecture professionals from all 54 African countries, as well as representatives of the diaspora and foreign delegations.
The initiative, led by the Italian-Somali architect Omar Degan, will be entitled "Shifting the Center: From Fragility to Resilience". The aim of the exhibition is to highlight contemporary African architectural production, which is often relegated to the background on international circuits.
The event is organised by the Architectural Association of Kenya, and will feature national exhibitions, conferences, workshops, urban installations and discussion forums open to the public. The biennial aims to become a space for reflection and visibility of the challenges facing the continent, such as rapid urban growth, the impact of climate change and the need to conserve cultural heritage.
The KICC, inaugurated in 1973, will be the epicentre of the event. This building, one of the emblems of modern Nairobi, was designed by Norwegian architect Karl Henrik Nøstvik in collaboration with Kenyan David Mutiso. Its brutalist and symbolic architecture has been interpreted as a statement of identity in post-colonial Africa.
According to Degan, the biennale is not intended to be a contemplative showcase, but a space for transformation. "Africa builds, thinks and leads," he said recently. "African architecture should not be studied solely from its fragility, but from its enormous transformative potential.
With this first edition, the Pan-African Biennale seeks to consolidate itself as a permanent platform for international exchange and projection, while redefining Africa's place in the global architectural debate.
Source: archpaper.com; arquitecturaviva.com