14 May 2019
Revealed: Daniel Libeskind's vision for a 'museum of humankind' in Kenya
BY Andrew Manns
Polish architect Daniel Libeskind has released images of his breathtaking designs for "Ngaren" – a world history museum commissioned by famed paleoanthropologist, Professor Richard Leakey.
Set to rise in the rugged hills of Kenya's Rift Valley – widely recognised as the cradle of human life – the jagged-shaped building will chart the course of sapient evolution with narrative-led exhibits that address misconceptions about extinction, climate change, war, and overpopulation.
Speaking on Ngaren, Leakey commented: "Ngaren is not just another museum, but a call to action.
"As we peer back through the fossil record, through layer upon layer of long-extinct species, many of which thrived far longer that the human species is ever likely to do, we are reminded of our mortality as a species."
In 2017, Libeskind told CLAD that Ngaren "would be a physical manifestation of Africa" with a "chamber of humanity, a planetarium, and a dinosaur hall".
Project leaders have already raised over US$4m (€3.5m, £3m) for the scheme, and aim to raise a further US$3m by the time construction begins in 2022.
Ngaren is scheduled to officially open to the public in 2024.
Close Window