Momentum of Light

Two stars of contemporary architecture explore the unique handling of light and heat in the architecture of Burkina Faso. Across the African continent, but especially in the sub-Saharan regions, the light has a particularly stark quality, which becomes most apparent in relation to older buildings. Before electricity, architecture was required to make use of the sun as a light source within a building, while also protecting its inhabitants from the heat. This resulted in vernacular architecture that features very few or small openings, which consequently render the inside of a building near pitch black, while the outside is illuminated by sunshine that bears down mercilessly. On the initiative of the lighting technology company Zumtobel Group, photographer Iwan Baan (born 1975) and architect Francis Kéré (born 1965) set out to capture how the sun's natural light cycle shapes vernacular architecture in Burkina Faso with little to no artificial light sources. They traveled to three exemplary locations: communal compounds in Gando; the main mosque of Bobo Dioulasso; and the terraced houses in Dano. Baan's pictures are accompanied by architectural sketches by Francis Kéré, who himself grew up in this light environment and whose architecture is inspired by it. The stunning photographs are printed using a special technique, to give a sense of being immersed in the very light conditions documented here. SELLING POINTS: . Iwan Baan is an architecture and documentary photographer. His works are published regularly in architectural magazines and newspapers, among them are Domus, a+u, the New Yorker and the New York Times . Francis Kéré is an internationally renowned Burkinabè architect, recognised for his pioneering approach to design and sustainable modes of construction. In 2005 he founded his architectural practice, Kéré Architecture GmbH, as well as the Kéré Foundation e.V., a non-profit organization that pursues projects in Gando . A 180-page paperback, full of vivid color photographs documenting the atmosphere of light, landscape and structures throughout Burkina Faso. The book has a particularly lush printing. Francis Kéré recently received the 2021 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture. An exhibition focusing on Iwan Baan's photography of Francis Kéré will open at the Kunstmuseum Olten this fall (August 25–November 14 2021) 105 illustrations

“Picking up on the theme of contrasts, the team composed a publication that feels soft, yet powerful, revelling in its juxtapositions - highlighting the fascinating richness that tells the story of light and architecture in Burkina Faso.”

Amazing collaboration between architecture, photography, design, and printing!--Kimberly Varella "AIGA"
Baan's highly atmospheric pictures of the country's hand-formed mud structures, some of which are painted or incised with powerful graphic patterns, convey an almost palpable impression of his presence on the scene, as do Kéré's reminiscences of the effect such structures had on defining his own architecture.--Martin Filler "New York Review of Books"
--Ellie Stathaki "Wallpaper*"

Iwan Baan is an architecture and documentary photographer. His works are published regularly in architectural magazines and newspapers, among them are Domus, a+u, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. He has worked for renowned architecture offices like SANAA, Rem Koolhaas/OMA, Herzog & de Meuron, Toyo Ito, and architects like Steven Holl and Zaha Hadid. In his photographs he focuses on the connection between architecture and the surrounding environment. Instead of isolating the built structure he embeds it in history and context.

Two stars of contemporary architecture explore the unique handling of light and heat in the architecture of Burkina Faso Across the African continent, but especially in the sub-Saharan regions, the light has a particularly stark quality, which becomes most apparent in relation to older buildings. Before electricity, architecture was required to make use of the sun as a light source within a building, while also protecting its inhabitants from the heat. This resulted in vernacular architecture that features very few or small openings, which consequently render the inside of a building near pitch black, while the outside is illuminated by sunshine that bears down mercilessly. On the initiative of the lighting technology company Zumtobel Group, photographer Iwan Baan (born 1975) and architect Francis K

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