Thomas Sankara Mausoleum / Kere Architecture
Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, has inaugurated a mausoleum commemorating a pan-Africanist revolutionary and the former president of Burkina Faso, Thomas Sankara, along with twelve of his aides. Sankara was president of Burkina Faso from 1983 until his assassination at the age of 37 during a coup on October 15, 1987, when twelve officials were also killed. Under his leadership, Sankara championed women's rights, launched environmental campaigns, pursued economic independence, and left an enduring legacy of national reforms. The Thomas Sankara Mausoleum is the final resting place of the former president and his twelve closest companions. Inspired by the path of the sun, the thirteen tombs are arranged concentrically from the centre of the building, each underneath a single skylight. At each hour, a new tomb is lit by the sun overhead, moving the visitor across the room and into a new space of remembrance. Thirteen columns create thirteen open spaces that physically represent the absence of those who were killed — a poignant reminder of the gap created in the lives of their families. Outside, a winding and colorful pavilion directs visitors from Boulevard Thomas Sankara to the entrance of the building.
Courtesy of Kéré Architecture
- architects: Kere Architecture
- Location: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Project Year: 2025
- Photographs: Courtesy of Kéré Architecture
- Area: 450.0 m2
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