Conservation / Transformation
Considering Togo’s architectural heritage
Launched in November 2024, the Rencontres architecturales de Lomé (RAL, Architectural encounters of Lomé) is a pan-African event designed to bring together key players in the field of architecture in West Africa. The exhibition accompanying the 2024 edition of the RAL is entitled Conservation/Transformation and presents part of Togo’s architectural history.
The ingenious constructions of the Nôk caves, the traditional building methods of which the Tatas Tamberma in northern Togo is the most emblematic example, the hybrid Afro-Brazilian architecture built from the 19th to the mid-20th century by freed slaves returning from Brazil, or the modern architecture that transformed Lomé after Independence: the panorama is varied.
Today, a number of buildings from the second half of the 20th century are still in use, including the Hôtel Sarakawa, the Hedzranawoe market and the BOAD, CEDEAO, IBBT (formerly BTCI) and BIA banks. At the same time, several remarkable buildings are currently in poor condition, such as the Hôtel de la Paix and the Bourse du Travail, while others are being renovated or have already been renovated, such as the Hôtel 2 Février and the Palais des Congrès.
The Conservation / Transformation exhibition is an invitation to reconsider the architectural heritage of West Africa as a whole, and of Togo and Lomé in particular. Only an awareness of what already exists can give rise to a pertinent dialogue on the possibilities for the future.
