The Nubuke Extended project has transformed the Nubuke campus into the cultural and civic heart of Accra’s growing urban landscape. It also connects to Ghana’s expanding network of cultural spaces, solidifying its role as a key cultural hub.
The original buildings on site have been carefully renovated and adapted to meet Nubuke’s diverse needs. This main building now houses all park functions, including exhibition areas, offices, shops, and storage facilities, fostering a collaborative creative environment within a spacious setting. The newly added structure serves as a multifunctional space offering venues and infrastructure for artists, cultural activists from various disciplines, and visitors across generations.
This new building is suspended above the existing garden, creating a central green area focused around Nubuke’s iconic Indian apricot trees. As a local landmark, the design thoughtfully responds to its surroundings and the urban context. The volumetric approach of Nubuke Extended aims to generate diverse spatial experiences, inviting active participation from artists, curators, visitors, residents, and children, while harmoniously integrating the buildings and landscapes within the park.
The design approach for Nubuke Extended is rooted in preserving the 1980s structure while adding new space above the garden, recognizing both the original building and garden as symbols of Nubuke’s identity as an urban space. This intervention enhances the outdoor green space without causing damage, highlighting unique landscape features such as the central Indian apricot trees and the adjacent palm forest integrated into the garden.
The flat space and other buildings at Nubuke have undergone several design iterations and renovation phases. The renovation strategy prioritizes site reconfiguration, enhancement of existing qualities, and reuse. For example, the container was relocated from its concrete base to create an outdoor stage, complemented by a children’s library and a small pub kitchen.
By simplifying the previous complex floor plan and adding bathrooms and small kitchens, the annex building was transformed into an attic for Nubuke’s artist residency program. Previously labyrinthine, the internal layout is now reorganized and opened to the public. Extending all exterior windows to ground level offers new views overlooking the garden and internal courtyard.
Walking across the lawn, the new gallery building is defined by cantilevered spans and slender support walls on the ground floor. This design extends the garden from the flat space to the gallery, creating shaded outdoor areas for activities and exhibitions. The gallery’s volume rises from the ground with a concave façade that curves inward, forming an urban-scale courtyard framed by the flat buildings, galleries, boundary walls, and palm groves, establishing a central gathering space within the park.
The Nubuke Foundation, established in 2007, operates multifunctional art and educational spaces in Accra and Wa City. It supports Ghana’s arts, culture, and traditions through numerous initiatives. The venues in Accra’s East Legon area host a wide range of daytime and nighttime activities, attracting diverse audiences from across cities and countries.
Inside Nubuke Extended, spacious and unique interiors allow for flexible programming. The design emphasizes green spaces and openness, simplifying the architectural form to accommodate various events. For instance, the ground floor spaces can host large-scale music events or festivals. On quieter afternoons, children can read under the shade of palm trees on the platform, while artists rest or collaborate within the main indoor Nubuke lounge.
The new gallery is a single-room building with staggered floors, featuring a high ceiling without columns and exposed concrete walls visible from the outside. This space is designed to showcase artistic works and performances that reflect the evolution of Ghana and the West African art scene.
Mezzanines, ceiling heights, and walls are strategically arranged to create varied spatial experiences, offering warm and expansive venues for exhibitions, performances, and other events. A comprehensive track system throughout the space allows for hanging artworks, panels, curtains, and more.
Exposed concrete walls reduce brightness, providing a neutral backdrop that enhances the vivid and colorful exhibitions and activities both inside and outside the gallery. Nubuke Extended’s design balances international ambitions with a welcoming atmosphere, making it a versatile venue for local and regional projects.
Background: The gallery’s scale and simple design respond thoughtfully to the local climate and urban context. The suspended building and its relationship with the central lawn are key design drivers. This approach not only creates an iconic urban landscape feature but also positively impacts the microclimate.
Wind can circulate freely above and below the new structure, while the original green space is preserved and enhanced by a green roof spanning the exhibition area. Nubuke Park remains one of the few green spaces in East Legon, improving local microclimate and reducing heat absorption through the roof.
Viewed as an abstract geometric form, the building’s six sides respond to climatic conditions: the raised structure and green roofs at top and bottom; solid concrete walls on the east and west to shield tropical sunlight year-round; and large openings to the north and south allowing prevailing winds and greenery to flow through. This passive design enhances natural ventilation, creating comfortable indoor and outdoor environments.
The material palette for the new gallery and site emphasizes raw, natural simplicity. The gallery’s interior and exterior structural elements—including floors, walls, and roofs—are all exposed concrete. Complementary architectural features include polished mortar floors, wooden window frames, metal doors and railings, and textile curtains, which soften and balance the concrete surfaces.
The overall aesthetic harmonizes with the lush tropical vegetation on site, reinforcing Nubuke’s identity within Accra. While Accra is rapidly expanding with imported materials and architectural elements, Nubuke Extended stands out with its authentic, rustic material choices, offering artists a distinctive and inspiring space for creation and residence.
Project Drawings
△ Base schematic diagram
△ Base plan
△ First floor plan
△ Second floor plan
△ Plan and section views
△ Model diagram
△ Detailed drawing
Project Information
Architectural Design: Juergen Strohmayer, nav_2 baerbel mueller
Area: 290 m²
Project Year: 2019
Photographer: Julien Lanoo
Client: Nubuke Foundation
Architectural Design: nav_2 baerbel mueller + Juergen Strohmayer
Local Architect: Orthner Orthner & Associates (OOA)
Structural Engineer: Bollinger & Grohmann Ingenieure
Concrete Contractor: HITL Construction Ltd
Metal Craftsmanship: MeCraft Ventures
Carpenter: Emmanuel Mawudzinwua
Engineering Clerk: Abdul Rauf Issahaque
Location: Accra, Ghana
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