Architecture studio Freehaus was selected from over 60 other competing studios to take over the design for the new headquarters of The Africa Centre in London. The Africa Centre is a cultural charity, originally established to provide a welcoming ‘home from home’ to London’s African population. Today, the centre works in a variety of areas, promoting mentorship, entrepreneurship, and the arts to promote authentic African experiences.
After selection, Freehaus set about researching the project and begin to draw inspiration from notable African artists and designers. The work of David Adjaye and Franci Kere was referenced and a collaboration with interior designer Tola Ojuolape and brand designer Mam’gabozi Design Factory led to a refined eight themes that guided the aesthetic of the space. The results see clay plaster walls, bold colors and patterns, beaded chandeliers, bespoke artworks, and colorful furniture contribute to create an interior that speaks to the continent as a whole. Speaking on the project, Freehaus co-director Jonathan Hagos said, “The key to the brief was for The Africa Centre’s new headquarters to be unmistakably African. Given the breadth of diversity on the continent and among the diaspora, we were keen to avoid stereotypes and well-trodden aesthetic tropes. At the same time, we wanted to avoid continent-sweeping generalisations. ‘Africa isn’t a country’ is a familiar response, often born of frustration at the dismissal of understanding of the breadth in peoples, cultures and traditions that span the African continent. We wanted to turn this misnomer into a strength and envisage what an embassy for a continent might look like in the 21st century.”
The new Africa Centre includes an event space, bar lounge, exhibition gallery and business hubs and is open now.
Photography © Taran Wilkhu