From 7 to 11 September 2026, Nairobi hosts the first Pan-African Biennale of Architecture, bringing together architects, designers, researchers, artists and urban practitioners from across the continent and its diaspora.

Curated by Somali-Italian architect Omar Degan, the Biennale begins with a simple but radical proposition: the centre of architectural discourse needs to shift. Africa has too often been described through external narratives of crisis, scarcity and vulnerability. Instead of framing Africa through narratives of crisis, scarcity or vulnerability Shifting the Center looks at the knowledge generated by these conditions — forms of adaptation, ingenuity, collective action and resilience.

The focus extends beyond iconic buildings. Vernacular traditions, community-led projects, material experimentation and everyday urban practices are presented as forms of architectural intelligence. The question is not how Africa can reproduce models developed elsewhere, but what the world can learn from African ways of building and inhabiting.

The idea is reflected in the diversity of the participants. The official selection brings together architects and practices from across the continent, including Algerian architect Djamel Klouche, Angola’s Banga Coletivo, Botswana’s Moralo Designs and Burkina Faso’s Association La Voûte Nubienne.

Further south and east, the selection includes practices such as Ghana’s Hive Earth, Rwanda’s MASS Design Group, Senegal’s Worofila and Somalia’s Daar Studio. Together, these practices demonstrate that there is no single definition of “African architecture”: the continent’s architectural cultures are multiple, regional and constantly evolving.

This plurality is central to the Biennale’s ambition. Its focus extends beyond iconic buildings to include vernacular knowledge, community-led design, ecological practices, material experimentation and new forms of urbanism. Architecture is understood not simply as the production of buildings, but as a way of negotiating climate, resources, identity, memory and collective life.

The event also seeks to challenge the traditional hierarchies of architectural culture. Whose work is recognised? Whose knowledge is preserved? Who gets to define the future of the built environment? By bringing together voices from across Africa and the diaspora, the Biennale aims to create a platform in which these questions can be addressed from within the continent itself.

More than a showcase, the Biennale aims to establish a lasting platform for African architectural voices and ideas. Its ambition is not simply to put African architecture on the international map, but to question who has traditionally drawn that map.

The centre, the Biennale suggests, does not need to be created. It needs to be recognised.

Discover the programme