The Pritzker Architecture laureate Francis Kéré has completed a mausoleum for the late Thomas Sankara, a pan-Africanist revolutionary who served as the president of Burkina Faso until he was assassinated in a 1987 military coup, at the age of 37. The circular clay-brick structure is the final resting place of Sankara and the 12 federal officials also killed in the coup — sited on the spot where their bodies were recovered. It sits within Thomas Sankara Memorial Park, a green space in the capital city Ouagadougou that will span 14 hectares when fully landscaped.
Kéré’s design is inspired by the path of the sun, with 13 tombs arranged in concentric circles, set beneath a skylight. Throughout the day, each tomb will be shrouded in light, one after the other, as the sun moves across the building. Supporting the outer rim are 13 columns at equal intervals, creating a shady space to remember those buried inside. Laterite and clay bricks were sourced for the construction by a network of local communities outside Ouagadougou.
A 34-metre dome over the building acts as a sunshade, protecting the interior from the city’s brutal heat. Two large, louvred gates at either end pivot to the east and west to provide passive ventilation.
‘Given that Sankara was killed there, the site remained a place of fear for a long time,’ says Kéré, one of the country’s most renowned figures. ‘It has now been transformed into a space of encounter and recreation, that fosters remembrance, respect, and hope… presenting an important historic site as a symbol of progress, change, and hope for all.’
Sankara was beloved for championing women’s rights, launching environmental campaigns and pursuing economic
independence. The larger memorial park will include several other cultural buildings designed by Kéré and ultimately connect to the city’s green belt. Inspired by Sankara’s reforms, the new green spaces will help combat the deadly heat in this arid, landlocked country.
