The museum is planned for the centre of Benin City, Nigeria
Adjaye Associates has unveiled its vision for a new museum devoted to west African art. The Edo Museum of West African Art is planned for the centre of Benin City, Nigeria.
The museum will house historic artefacts as well as galleries focusing on contemporary art, and will also house archaeological remains and ruins from the former Kingdom of Benin discovered during construction.
It is part of a project by The Legacy Restoration Trust and the British Museum devoted to the history of the Kingdom of Benin.
David Adjaye described the project as establishing a ‘new museum paradigm for Africa.’ He said: ‘We are proposing an undoing of the objectification that has happened in the West through full reconstruction.’
‘Decoupling from the Western museum model, this museum will perform as a reteaching tool – a place to instill an understanding of the magnitude and importance of these civilizations and cultures.’
