https://en.sputniknews.africa/20260722/design-as-decolonisation--how-african-architecture-is-challenging-colonial-museum-models-1087726249.html
Design as Decolonisation — How African Architecture is Challenging Colonial Museum Models
Design as Decolonisation — How African Architecture is Challenging Colonial Museum Models
Sputnik Africa
In Lagos Nigeria, a striking red-and-gold building—John Randle Centre for Yoruba History and Culture—is challenging traditional Eurocentric museum models with... 22.07.2026, Sputnik Africa
2026-07-22T14:35+0200
2026-07-22T14:35+0200
2026-07-22T14:35+0200
pan-african frequency
sputnik africa
africa
podcasts
museums
heritage
pan-africanism
culture
reparations
neocolonialism
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.africa/img/07ea/07/16/1087726074_0:67:1280:787_1920x0_80_0_0_e48fcd746201fee0118cbea74344ea1a.jpg
Design as Decolonisation — How African Architecture is Challenging Colonial Museum Models
Sputnik Africa
In Lagos Nigeria, a striking red-and-gold building—John Randle Centre for Yoruba History and Culture—is challenging traditional Eurocentric museum models with its architectural design, proving that African heritage is sensory, warm, and unapologetically loud.
Sitting proudly on the Lagos island, and directly facing the colonial-era National Museum, stands the John Randle Centre for Yoruba History and Culture, and, according to its lead architect, Seun Oduwole, it represents nothing less than a loud, colourful alternative narrative to Eurocentric models. Speaking to Pan-African Frequency, the architect noted that, the design was meant to break the narrative of Western museums that have long treated African civilisations, as something static, ancient, and was pulled out of darknessListen to the full discussion on the Pan-African Frequency podcast, presented by Sputnik Africa.In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on Telegram.► You can also listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Pocket Casts, Afripods, and Podcast Addict► Check out all the episodes of Pan-African Frequency
africa
Sputnik Africa
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
2026
Adeola Oyewole
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.africa/img/07e9/06/1e/1074889850_174:0:748:574_100x100_80_0_0_8f9b883efa50c8a20c5d57c79b195d1a.jpg
Adeola Oyewole
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.africa/img/07e9/06/1e/1074889850_174:0:748:574_100x100_80_0_0_8f9b883efa50c8a20c5d57c79b195d1a.jpg
News
en_EN
Sputnik Africa
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
Sputnik Africa
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
Adeola Oyewole
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.africa/img/07e9/06/1e/1074889850_174:0:748:574_100x100_80_0_0_8f9b883efa50c8a20c5d57c79b195d1a.jpg
sputnik africa, africa, podcasts, museums, heritage, pan-africanism, culture, reparations , neocolonialism, sovereignty, language, artifact, аудио
sputnik africa, africa, podcasts, museums, heritage, pan-africanism, culture, reparations , neocolonialism, sovereignty, language, artifact, аудио
Design as Decolonisation — How African Architecture is Challenging Colonial Museum Models
In Lagos Nigeria, a striking red-and-gold building—John Randle Centre for Yoruba History and Culture—is challenging traditional Eurocentric museum models with its architectural design, proving that African heritage is sensory, warm, and unapologetically loud.
Sitting proudly on the Lagos island, and directly facing the colonial-era National Museum, stands the John Randle Centre for Yoruba History and Culture, and, according to its lead architect, Seun Oduwole, it represents nothing less than a loud, colourful alternative narrative to Eurocentric models. Speaking to Pan-African Frequency, the architect noted that, the design was meant to break the narrative of Western museums that have long treated African civilisations, as something static, ancient, and was pulled out of darkness
“It was a lifetime opportunity to sit down and say, how do we tell this story, how do we deconstruct museology, and reorganize it in a way that centers us, not centers the impression or the misinterpretation of us. And you know many of these spaces follow sort of linear pattern, whether it's chronological or whatever, and they're very sort of quiet. They're very contemplative, especially the more contemporary ones. You know, they have that sort of white box phenomena where the background is sort of sanitized. It's white, it's clinical so that the focus can be on the object. But Our culture goes beyond objectification, our culture is immersive. It's multi-sensorial. Our culture express an experience in multiple dimensions [...] the culture has always been able to evolve itself in one way, shape or form, which deconstructs this idea that it is an ancient or primitive or past culture. So for us, what we wanted to do was highlight how the culture has evolved and how it is relevant today,” he explained.
Listen to the full discussion on the
Pan-African Frequency podcast, presented by Sputnik Africa.
In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on
Telegram.► Check out all the episodes of Pan-African Frequency 
