Kunlé Adeyemi

{{Short description|Nigerian architect, urbanist and creative researcher}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Kunlé Adeyemi

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name = Adekunle Adeyemi

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1976|04|07}}

| birth_place = Kaduna, Nigeria

| nationality = Nigerian

| education = University of Lagos (B.Arch)
Princeton University (Post-Professional Degree)

| occupation = Architect, Urbanist, Creative Researcher

| known_for = Makoko Floating School, Sustainable Architecture, Urbanism

| organization = NLÉ

| years_active = 2002–present

| website = [https://www.nleworks.com/ nleworks.com]

}}

Kunlé Adeyemi was born on the {{Birth date|df=yes|1976|04|07}} and is a Nigerian architect, urbanist and creative researcher. Adeyemi is founder and principal of NLÉ, an architecture, design and urbanism practice, based in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Adeyemi studied at the University of Lagos in Nigeria and Princeton University in New Jersey, the United States. Before starting his office in the Netherlands, he worked nearly a decade at Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA).

Early life

Adekunle Adeyemi was born and raised in Kaduna, in northern Nigeria, and studied and started his early career in Lagos. His father was a modernist architect and started one of the first indigenous architecture firms in North Nigeria in the 1970s.[http://www.timeoutnigeria.com/ Lagos Insider's Guide 2011/12] A Time Out Nigeria magazine on the 'Best of Lagos', published July 2011, containing an interview with Adeyemi. In his mid-teens, Adeyemi had the opportunity to design his first house, for a friend of his father.

Adeyemi is an alumnus of Federal Government Academy, Suleja, Nigeria's school for the education of gifted children, where he was a member of the inaugural class that graduated in 1992. He studied architecture at the University of Lagos in Nigeria, and finished his Bachelor as Best Graduate.[http://www.nai.nl/content/970502/de_toekomst_van_gebouwd_afrika De Toekomst van gebouwd Afrika], Meeting at the NAI (8 April 2011) Where Kunlé Adeyemi attended as discussion panel member. In 2005, Adeyemi received a Post-Professional degree at Princeton University School of Architecture in New Jersey.[http://www.urbanbody.org/UB2006/madrid/archbody/content/oma/teachers_bio.html Mapping Madrid (2006)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227055317/http://www.urbanbody.org/UB2006/madrid/archbody/content/oma/teachers_bio.html |date=27 December 2016 }} Urban project in which Adeyemi joined as teacher. At that university, Adeyemi investigated with Peter Eisenman, the rapid urbanization and the role of market economies in developing cities of the Global South, focusing on Lagos.[http://www.nleworks.com/index2.html NLÉ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831084608/http://www.nleworks.com/index2.html |date=31 August 2011 }} Company website from the office NLÉ.

Early career

In his early career, Adeyemi worked on projects in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of Nigeria.[http://www.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=145b2905-0235-48df-8112-ee10e68c251f&lang=nl Delft University of Technology website]{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, where Adeyemi gave a Lunch Lecture at the faculty of Architecture, about Architects in Africa (25 March 2010). After that, Adeyemi joined OMA (The Office for Metropolitan Architecture) in 2002,{{cite book |title=Made by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture: An Ethnography of Design |author=Albena Yaneva |publisher=010 Publishers |year=2009 |pages=41f. |isbn=978-90-6450-714-4}} where he was Senior Associate and worked for about nine years alongside its award-winning founder Rem Koolhaas.[http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4324/Nieuws/article/detail/1844006/2011/01/08/Hoe-bouw-je-in-rap-verstedelijkend-Afrika.dhtml Trouw] Interview with Kunlé Adeyemi about rapidly developing cities in Africa. There, Adeyemi led the following projects, in different stages:

Qatar Foundation Headquarters, the Central Library and the Strategic Studies Center, in the Education City in Doha[http://www.monthofdesign.com/category/big-design-conference/conference-2008/ Month of Design Conference 2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929133449/http://www.monthofdesign.com/category/big-design-conference/conference-2008/ |date=29 September 2011 }} At which Adeyemi spoke about design interventions in Asia.
The 4th Mainland Bridge and Master Plan in Lagos
The Prada Transformer project in 2009[http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124&Itemid=19 OMA website]{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} About the Prada Transformer Project.
New Court Rothschild Bank project in London (2006).[http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=portal&Itemid=10&id=381 OMA website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001162449/http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=portal&id=381&Itemid=10 |date=1 October 2011 }} About the Rothschild Bank Project. This bank is about to open soon[http://www.building.co.uk/home/this-weeks-magazine/five-projects-in-2011-worth-getting-excited-about/5010604.article#ixzz1ALFzjxCn] About noteworthy buildings in the UK: amongst others, the New Court Rothschild Bank.
Master plan concept for Abuja – AIST, Nigeria in 2006 for the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology[http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=portal&Itemid=10&id=628 OMA website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808011604/http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=portal&id=628&Itemid=10 |date=8 August 2011 }} About the Abuja master plan concept.
Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2006,[http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=1635 Press release] About the start of the construction work for the Shenzhen Stock Exchange building.[http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=portal&Itemid=10&id=631 OMA website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905072700/http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=portal&id=631&Itemid=10 |date=5 September 2011 }} About the Shenzhen Stock Exchange Project. opened in November 2007[http://www.architectenweb.nl/aweb/redactie/redactie_detail.asp?iNID=11236&s=1 Article on Architectenweb] About the opening of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange Building.
The Seoul National University Museum project in 2005[http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=portal&Itemid=10&id=189 OMA website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912071355/http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=portal&id=189&Itemid=10 |date=12 September 2011 }} About the Seoul University Museum project.[http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/international/2009/06/24/ta.c.rem.koolhaas.cnn.html CNN]{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Interview documentary with Adeyemi and Koolhaas about the Seoul University Museum design.
The S-project Masterplan for Seoul in 2004[http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=portal&Itemid=10&id=601 OMA website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809050710/http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=portal&id=601&Itemid=10 |date=9 August 2011 }} About the Seoul S-project.[http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/03/14/050314fa_fact_zalewski Article in the New Yorker] About Intelligent Design.
The Leeum Museum in Seoul in 2004.[http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=portal&Itemid=10&id=181 OMA website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110829015741/http://www.oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=portal&id=181&Itemid=10 |date=29 August 2011 }} About the LEUUM project.

Current work and projects

Currently, Adeyemi runs his architecture, design and urbanism practice called NLÉ, located in Amsterdam. NLÉ means 'at home' in Yoruba. With his office NLÉ, Adeyemi is interested in elements that make up a city. He focuses especially on the rapidly growing cities in developing countries. Adeyemi seeks the logic in systems that arise in the rapid development of those cities. He observes and questions the existing systems within these cities and creates new solutions inspired by his 'reading' of those systems. Adeyemi is convinced that there is much to learn from the condition found in rapidly developing, energetic cities, like one of Africa's most populated cities Lagos in Nigeria. NLÉ offers a strategy advisory service focusing on city development research, conceptualisation, creative structuring, architectural-, product- and infrastructure design, arts and urban cultural intervention. In much of his recent work, Adeyemi is particularly interested in urbanization, climate change, and policy.{{Citation|title=Kunlé Adeyemi: We are living in interesting times in Africa {{!}} Design Indaba|url=http://www.designindaba.com/videos/interviews/kunl%C3%A9-adeyemi-we-are-living-interesting-times-africa|language=en|access-date=2019-03-14}} Among others, Adeyemi conducted with NLÉ the following activities:

Building prototype housing for urban tropic environment.
‘Queensday Lagos', to exchange the Dutch Queensday experience with inhabitants of Lagos by video conferencing[http://www.facebook.com/pages/NL%C3%89-Shaping-the-Architecture-of-Developing-Cities/153947934665234?sk=wall Facebook] Grouppage of NLÉ.
Lagos Photo project with the African Artists' Foundation.[http://ajanaku.com/lagos-photo Lagos Photo Project] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111212095826/http://ajanaku.com/lagos-photo |date=12 December 2011 }} Photo exhibition in Lagos, November 2010.
Makoko Floating School (collapsed June 2016).
MFS II and MFS III: the 2nd and 3rd iterations of his Makoko Floating School Project{{Cite web|url=http://www.nleworks.com/|title=NLÉ {{!}} NLÉ IS AN ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN AND URBANISM PRACTICE FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING CITIES|website=www.nleworks.com|access-date=2019-03-14}}

Academic contribution

Adeyemi gave and gives lectures and workshops at universities and conferences in Amsterdam, Zurich, Delft, Guggenheim, and published several articles on architecture and urbanism:

Adeyemi is 2011 Callison Distinguished Visiting Lecturer of the University of Washington, faculty of Architecture, teaching and researching 'The Modern City in the Age of Globalization' in Chandigarh, together with Dr. Vikramaditya Prakash, following-up Glenn Murcutt.[http://www.washington.edu/admin/pb/home/pdf/bgt-narratives/fy2012/Built-Environments.pdf Built Environments] washington.edu[http://chandigarhprogram.blogspot.com/2010/09/kunle-adeyemi-to-join-ip2011.html Blog Chandigarh] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402104802/http://chandigarhprogram.blogspot.com/2010/09/kunle-adeyemi-to-join-ip2011.html |date=2 April 2012 }} India Program from University of Washington's Faculty of Architecture
At PICNIC 2011 (yearly creative conference), Adeyemi spoke about organic urban growth versus city planning[http://www.bna.nl/Nieuws/Agenda/Agendadetail/526/PICNIC-Festival-2011-de-impact-van-urbanisatie PICNIC] Yearly creative event in Amsterdam.
Adeyemi was visiting critic at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in America, the Architectural Association in London, and the Berlage Institute in Rotterdam
Adeyemi published the article "Urban Crawl" in the LOG Journal, summer/fall 2007, about contemporary cities and the future of architecture.[http://www.anycorp.com/log.php?id=21 Log Journal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710101930/http://www.anycorp.com/log.php?id=21 |date=10 July 2011 }} Issue summer/fall 2007.
In 2006, Adeyemi was keynote speaker at the Guggenheim Symposium "Contamination, Impure Architecture", next to Zaha Hadid, Sanford Kwinter, and Alex McDowell[http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/press-room/releases/press-release-archive/2006/598-may-15-guggenheim-museum-and-oldcastle-glass-co-host-architecture-symposium-june-3 Guggenheim symposium in 2006] Where Adeyemi spoke about Impure Architecture.
Adeyemi was in 2006 a teacher at the Urban Body Studio of the Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture.
Adeyemi joined Architecture for Humanity as competition juror and project reviewer.[http://architectureforhumanity.org/about/board Website Architecture for Humanity] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902093841/http://architectureforhumanity.org/about/board |date=2 September 2011 }} Where Adeyemi is former juror and project reviewer.