«I was born in Burkina Faso, in this little village where there was no school. And my father wanted me to learn how to read and write very simply because then I could then translate or read him his letters,» confessed Diébédo Francis Kéré, from Burkina Faso, who won the most prestigious award in this area.
People who do great things should be recognized. However, not everyone has the same opportunities and privileges, so some have to fight against greater adversity to succeed in their various professions.
A case of overcoming barriers despite many obstacles is that of Diébédo Francis Kéré, an architect from Burkina Faso, a country located in western Africa, which doesn’t offer great options for those who want to study professionally. Despite this, inspiring cases like Diébédo’s still arise.
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Recently, at the age of 56, he was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2022 by the American Hyatt Foundation. Known as the Nobel Prize for Architecture, it is the most prestigious international recognition in this area. In addition, Diébédo is the first person with black skin to win the prize.
«Can you imagine? I was born in Burkina Faso, in this little village where there was no school. And my father wanted me to learn how to read and write very simply because then I could then translate or read him his letters,» Diébédo said with a big smile as he received the award, according to National Public Radio of the United States.
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According to public opinion in the world of architecture, Diébédo wasn’t the favorite to win the prize, but rather the well-known architect Sir David Adjaye, who designed the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C.
Diébédo’s work has been more focused on African projects, so his buildings are less well known. In fact, he is best known for building elementary schools and a health care clinic. This is why it was a big surprise he was announced as the winner.
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«Francis Kéré is pioneering architecture — sustainable to the earth and its inhabitants — in lands of extreme scarcity. He is equally architect and servant, improving upon the lives and experiences of countless citizens in a region of the world that is at times forgotten,» said committee chairman Tom Pritzker in a statement.
«Through buildings that demonstrate beauty, modesty, boldness and invention, and by the integrity of his architecture and geste, Kéré gracefully upholds the mission of this Prize,» he added.
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This architect’s work is inspired by his own experience of having to go to a school with 100 children in an extremely hot region.
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«You will sit and it’s very hot inside. And there was no light, while outside, the sunlight was abundant and in my head, I think, the idea one day grew [that] as an adult, I should make it better. I was thinking about space, about room, about how I can feel better,” he explained.