Haduwa Stage
Located on the Atlantic coast of Ghana´s Central Region, the Haduwa Arts & Culture Institute is an open institution for independent artistic, cultural, and pedagogic experimentation. [applied] Foreign Affairs has been invited to conceptualize and design a stage for the future initiatives of Haduwa.
The resulting design is a roofscape and floors-cape located on the ocean borderline of the terrain. The large-scale bamboo structure is a significant landmark in its context. A giant dome with three arches facing in different directions, it presents a typologically new form of open space. One of its spatial qualities is that it combines protection from and inclusion of external elements such as sun, wind, and rainfall.
Photography by © Julien Lanoo The primary structure is a grid shell consisting solely of bamboo – one of the most versatile and strongest materials on planet Earth. Its geometry has been informed by the material quality of bamboo and its structural, technical, and spatial potentials. Constructing with bamboo is also meant to foster the reputation of sustainable architecture in Ghana. In this regard, the aim of the project is ?to put Ghana on the world map of bamboo? (Jörg Stamm). The project was built by the authors themselves, together with local experts and workers.
Using bamboo as an organic building material gives rise to new possibilities for local architecture, at the same time, it grants opportunities for new means of design and pla...