The Maison du Peuple was included on the 2022 World Monuments Watch to raise awareness of this architectural marvel while contributing to its conservation and the development of a sustainable reuse plan to ensure its future. During the 1960s and early 1970s, Upper Volta received a great deal of financial aid from France.
The building suffers from long deferred maintenance and lack of legal protection. La Maison du Peuple, which has withstood political uprisings and military governments, continues to serve the public and is still used for concerts and events despite its advance state of decay. Francis Kéré, the eminent architect from Burkina Faso, calls la Maison du Peuple “the finest example of modernist architecture in Burkina Faso and one of the most important examples of modernism in Africa.” An Advanced State of Decay The whimsical lanterns on the roof are reminiscent of traditional Mossi architecture and serve as passive ventilation ducts that promote convection to cool the interior while also providing natural light to the main auditorium. Here, however, the building’s concrete facade mimics the rich color, texture, and patterning of the country’s vernacular earthen buildings. The territory was named French Upper Volta and was established on March 1, 1919.
As the French feared the recurrence of armed uprisings, it separated the present territory of Burkina Faso from Upper Senegal and Niger. The brutalist moniker references béton brut ("raw concrete") and the architectural movement that privileged imposing, monolithic structures of undressed poured concrete. The majority of what is now Burkina Faso was conquered in 1898, however, control of some parts remained uncertain. La Maison du Peuple was designed by French architect René Faublée, who conceived of a modern, "brutalist" style building with important references to local vernacular architecture. La Maison du Peuple is a prime example of this new architectural language. This was a time of hope, optimism, and renewal that was reflected in new civic architecture symbolizing independence and democratic ideals. Across the continent, those subject to colonial powers were gaining independence and establishing new populist governments. The capital, Ouagadougou, is in the centre of the country and lies about 500 miles (800 km) from the Atlantic Ocean. The name Burkina Faso, which means Land of Incorruptible People, was adopted in 1984. When the building was inaugurated in 1965, Africa stood at the threshold of a new era. A former French colony, it gained independence as Upper Volta in 1960. La Maison du Peuple or the House of the People was commissioned after Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) declared independence from France in 1960 and served for decades as a platform for political debate and the exercise of democratic governance.
Site History and Significance A New Architectural Language
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