The Kaira Looro International Competition has announced winners for a new Cultural Center in Senegal, which was developed as a tribute to African cultures. 

Hundred-years old cultures give birth to Communities, being transmitted through rhymes of those who are narrating it and interpretating tha past through wisdom. Human’s accomplishments are the result of rituals and metamorphosis, bonding the human being to its own roots through dance, history, music, colours, flavours, materials and landscapes. From this concept the participants took inspiration for the design process of a Cultural Center in Sedhiou, Senegal.

“Kaira Looro Competition 2018 - Cultural Center” is the second edition of the International Architecture Competition Kaira Looro, whose project theme for this year is the design of a Cultural Center in the city of Sedhiou, Senegal, with the aim of conserving and passing on secular traditions, currently endangered by globalization and migratory phenomena.

Kaira Looro, that in Mandingo language means "Architecture for Peace", is not just architecture, but it also represents a link to culture, spirituality and research of interiority. The main idea of the competition is to develop a deep research in the field of design in developing countries and for emergencies, but especially to give opportunities and visibility to young promises of the international architectural scene.

On 20th may 2018, the jury nominated 25 awarderd projects: 1st , 2nd and 3rd prize, 2 honorable mentions nominated by Kengo Kuma, 5 mentions and 15 finalists. First prize is a cash prize and an internship at Kengo Kuma & Associates in Tokyo. All awarded projects will be published in Kaira Looro official book, hosted in exhibitions and published on articles and magazines.

1st prize: Giacomo Spanio, Sergiu Cernea, Paolo Reali, Nicola Puppin - Italy

The first prize of the second edition of Kaira Looro Competition goes to the project developed by the Italian team composed by Giacomo Spanio, Sergiu Cernea, Paolo Reali, Nicola Puppin. 

"The proposal for the new Cultural Centre of Sédhiou is designed to be context-sensitive and to link traditional elements with modern shapes. Rainwater harvesting and purification with natural methods had a central role during the design process. The solution of the Venetian well was chosen because it uses sand and clay to naturally purify water, which are materials that can be found in Sédhiou. The well became a pivotal element of the building, which is constructed around it." Read more.

Also this year the entire proceeds, derived from the registration fees of the participants, were entirely donated to the humanitarian organization Balouo Salo, which operates in Africa to solve the social and environmental problems that afflict local communities.

2nd prize: Giulia Grazioli, Giulia Cascioli - Italy

The second prize goes to another Italian team made up of Giulia Grazioli and Giulia Cascioli. 

"Our project for the cultural center in the city of Sedhiou aims to create a space in which cultures can be handed down and disseminated. The goal is to devise a sustainable architecture that promotes the teaching and conservation of traditions through the use of materials found in the areas surrounding the area taken into consideration. An architecture that must be socially and economically sustainable, given the use of the various activities that take place in the region, such as agriculture and crafts." Read more.

3rd prize: Sergio González Torres, Ana Méndez Garzom, Santiago Cañete Sánchez - Spain 

A Spanish project by Sergio González Torres, Ana Méndez Garzom and Santiago Cañete Sánchez won the third prize. Others awarded teams come from Brazil, China, France, Kosovo, Norway, Mexico, Portugal, Canada, Poland, Romania and Greece. Lastyear, the first edition of Kaira Looro Competition (“Sacred Architecture”) was won by a polish team.

"The project is proposed due to the shortage of enclosed public spaces in Sedhiou region. A community center is required by the contest as a meeting point in order to preserve cultural traditions. A central court define a place where the spatial condition of the structure is designed in virtue of social structure. The proposal is an economic and sustainable prototype sample serving local people to build comfortable spaces, and adapted to the place, where they can share a community life. Its flexible construction system allows a variety of spatial configurations and activities mixing areas with different privacy grades and relationship between inside- outside." Read more.

Honorable Mention: Camilla Fiorucci, Ludovica Fioravanti, Antonietta D'Urso, Giuseppe Falabella - Italy

Also this year the entire proceeds, derived from the registration fees of the participants, were entirely donated to the humanitarian organization Balouo Salo, which operates in Africa to solve the social and environmental problems that afflict local communities.

"This year, as the last one, the competition received an exceptional participation from all over the world with over 500 competing projects from over 50 different countries. The proposals showed considerable sensitivity to the theme of the competition and to the context of intervention," said the organisation.

"The event thus becomes a promoter of architectural research issues for particular social and environmental contexts, as well as a witness to humanitarian initiatives."

Honorable Mention: Mayuqi Liang, Jiajia Li, Qi Wang - China

The winning projects are available online on the official website of the competition and will be transmitted to the international media of the sector. Moreover, a dedicated book "Kaira Looro Architecture Competition - Cultural Center" will be published with all the winning projects, and, also in this case, the proceeds will be donated for humanitarian purposes.

The competition is organized by the Nonprofit Organization “Balouo Salo” with the collaboration of theUniversity of Tokyo, Kengo Kuma & Associates, Sedhiou Region and other international partners. Winning projects have been nominated by an internationally renowned jury made up of: Kengo Kuma, Toshiki Hirano (University of Tokyo), Agostino Ghirardelli (SBGA), Azzurra Muzzonigro (Stefano Boeri Architetti), René Bouman (Mohn+Bouman Architects), Camillo Magni(ASF), Angelo Ferrara, Pilar Diez Rodriguez, Rainer Kasik (X Architekten), Sebastiano D'Urso (University of Catania), Giuseppe Mazzaglia (Kaan Architects), Ignazio Lutri (In/Arch), Raoul Vecchio (Balouo Salo).

World Architecture Community was the Media Partner for this year's competition. You can see all awarded projects from the competition's website. 

All images courtesy of the Kaira Looro Architecture Competition

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