The new museum and research center EMOWAA – Edo Museum of West African Art – is part of a program to revitalize the historic and cultural center of Benin City. The complex goes up by the Palace of the Oba, former residence of the governor and of the royal family of the ancient Kingdom of Benin. Its privileged location, adjacent to one of the historic symbols of the city, encouraged to include an archaeology plan during the initial stages of the project, to help explain the history of the city and to connect the community with its past.

The building draws inspiration from the region’s historical architectural typologies and establishes its own courtyard in the form of a public garden, exhibiting a variety of indigenous flora and a canopy that offers shade – a welcoming environment for ceremonies. The galleries float above the gardens and are articulated by elevated volumes – an inversion of the courtyard typology – within each of which sit pavilions which take their form from fragments of reconstructed historic compounds. These pieces will be made of fragments recovered from the excavations, offering visitors the opportunity to better understand the traditions and rituals of the Edo culture...[+]