Photography: Rubén Dario Kleimeer
Water Cities Rotterdam explores how humankind could respond to rising sea levels through the lens of Kunlé Adeyemi’s floating pavilions.
The ponds at the city’s Nieuwe Instituut aren’t just home to ducks and geese anymore – this summer, they’ve welcomed a new resident in the form of a seven-metre-high cabin that floats atop the water.
Designed by Adeyemi’s firm NLÉ, the structure is the outcome of the Nigerian architect’s investigations into ways African nations are responding to rising water levels – particularly the floating settlement of Makoko in Lagos, Nigeria. The pavilion is based on a prototype building system he developed in response.
Visitors can go inside the structure, which is accompanied by an indoor exhibition of archive material and design models. These range from prototype cities built on top of the sea and villas that would float on water to architecture formed around rivers, and their essential role in the urban environment.
Nieuwe Instituut is also showing design projects and installations by artists and designers exploring our relationship with and reliance on water in the face of climate change.
Water Cities Rotterdam is on display until 21 October 2023.
