First exhibition on Francis Kéré in Spain extended through February

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The ICO Museum (Madrid) has extended Francis Kéré: Primary Elements, the first exhibition in Spain dedicated to the Burkina Faso-born, German-trained architect. Originally scheduled to close on Sunday, January 20, the museum has pushed the closing date back to Sunday, February 3.

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The exhibition showcases the complete body of work of the 2004 Aga Khan Award winner, tracing a journey from the Gando Primary School (2001) in Burkina Faso, to the Mali National Park (2010) in Bamako, and the CSPS Center for Health and Social Promotion (2014) in Laongo, Burkina Faso. It also features spectacular, life-sized installations of the construction systems he uses in his buildings, offering significant educational value.

As the eldest son of the village chief, Kéré was allowed by his father to attend school, even though Western education was widely regarded locally as a waste of time. Supported by a scholarship from the German Federal Government, Kéré graduated with a degree in architecture and engineering from the TU Berlin in 2004. Around the same time, he established the Kéré Foundation to fund the construction of the Gando Primary School, which was awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Award that same year.

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Francis Kéré’s architecture, innovative in its honest and humble expression, is driven by two combined forces: a formal and material architectural expression, and the rigorous clarity of an almost engineering-led construction method. His work invites reflection, encouraging engagement with this unique architectural perspective and tradition. This approach, combined with the social commitment inherent in all his projects, has earned him numerous accolades, including the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, the BSI Swiss Architectural Award, the Marcus Prize, the Global Holcim Gold Award, and the Schelling Architecture Award.

The exhibition Francis Kéré: Primary Elements was curated by Luis Fernández-Galiano, Professor of Architectural Projects at the ETSAM, and produced by the ICO Foundation. The accompanying catalog is published by the ICO Foundation in collaboration with the magazine Arquitectura Viva.