Palais de Lomé

Today, I want to share a beautiful architecture from Lomé, Togo. Togo is a country in West Africa, bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its capital, Lomé, is located. Right at the heart of the city, you will find the Palais de Lomé

The original architecture was built from 1898 to 1905 during the German colonisation. It first served as the German, then French governors residence until the country Independence on the 27Th April 1960.

It then became the seat of the seat of the Togolese Presidency until 1970. From 1976 to 1991, it became the residence for official state guests. It later served as the residence of the Prime Minister in September 1991. Following a period of Social and Political unrest in the 90s, the building was left unoccupied which resulted in significant deterioration after being abandoned and neglected for two decades

As the original plans were not available, the architects and engineers worked using other resources. The restoration was done based on existing elements using archived images and old photographs lent by the grandsons of governors who had once resided there.

Seven years of work and ten local enterprises were necessary to complete the project. Some parts of the original architecture have been kept intact; a way to dialogue with the past. Cement tiles from the time of the German occupation have been restored. The rusty staircase bannister has been saved and the flagpole of Togo has also been preserved.

After more than 20years of abandonment and lengthy restoration process, the reopened to the public as the country’s first cultural centre. Presenting culture, design and visual arts for the celebration of cultures of Africa and its diasporas.

The areas surrounding the palace became an eleven hectare park. Designed by landscape architect Frédéric Reynaud, inspired by the landscapes of Togo. A long ethnobotanical study resulted in more than five hundred species from Togo and other African countries, adopted to the climate were planted. Such a wide park in a city centre is a first in West Africa.