mariam kamara of atelier masōmī chosen to design a new museum in senegal

Mariam Kamara selected as Bët-bi museum architect

 

Plans have been unveiled for a new museum and center for culture and community in Senegal called ‘Bët-bi’, or ‘the eye’ in Wolof. Nigerien architect and founder of atelier masōmī Mariam Kamara has been chosen by a jury to lead the project.

 

Kamara says, ‘This project is an opportunity to design a new type of space that is inspired by the roots and spiritual legacy of the region. It is a chance to push the boundaries of what defines a museum in the 21st century.’

 

Set to open its doors to the public in early 2025, Bët-bi museum will include exhibition space, places for community gatherings, a library, a café, and an area for local artisans to showcase and sell their work.

Mariam Kamara, founder of atelier masōmī

 

 

Developed by the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and Le Korsa, the main goal of Bët-bi is to connect people through art and to bring the joys of visual art to a population that may not previously have had access to museums. The new cultural complex also aims to help revitalize the local economy.

 

‘Bët-bi will be an institution where everyone, regardless of background, can celebrate and experience the unequalled wonders of visual art,’ comments Nicholas Fox Weber, Executive Director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and Founder and President of Le Korsa.

Render of the new Bët-bi museum

 

 

atelier masōmī‘s design honors the ancient stone circles of Senegambia, which were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2006. The museum is also planned to have a relatively low-cost construction and to consider local building traditions and its environmental impact. 

 

Bët-bi museum will showcase a range of traditional and contemporary African art and art from the Diaspora, including examples of work from the Harlem Renaissance. There will also be African textiles, American quilts, Mesoamerican objects, Native American beadwork, and the work of both Anni and Josef Albers exhibited. 

 

See also: A dialogue with Mariam Kamara of atelier masōmī: first, do no harm

The ancient stone megaliths of Senegambia

 

 

project info:

 

name: Bët-bi

location: Senegal

architecture: atelier masōmī