It was an unforgettable
experience for arts and architecture aficionados, tourists, students and
residents of Lagos who experienced over 30 unique buildings that opened their
doors to the public as part of the showcase that takes place in 34 other cities
around the world.
The festival opened with a
symposium on Friday,29th April 2016 with the theme: ‘Lagos, The Good, the Bad
and the Excellent’. It was moderated by Olamide Udoma – Ejorh and panelists
included architects Tosin Oshinowo, James George and Chuka Ihonor. The talkwas
followed by a lively discussion of the theme by the audience of celebrated
architects, interior designers, urban planners and critics.
Immediately following the talk
was the festival opening party where guests were treated to tasty canapes and
exotic cocktails while enjoying performances from King’s Men, Maka and Tope
Ukaegbu and the ever energetic Yinka Davies.
The tour began on Saturday,
30th April - Sunday, 1st May 2016. It not only provided a platform for
individuals to visit and explore buildings they would normally not have access
to, it also provided networking and bonding opportunities for people with
common interests and hobbies.
Some of the buildings in the
festival included Nigerian Railway Compound, British Council, Sterling Towers,
Bogobiri House, Alara Store, Plot G9, Banana Island, Radisson Blue Hotel,
Malaika Mews, Maison Fahrenheit, Freedom Park, Nestoil Tower, GTBank UNILAG
Alumni Building and Bayo Kuku, German Consulate,Holy Cross Cathedral, St
George's Hall, Central Mosque, The Rock Cathedral, Churchgate Towers and
Heritage Place.
The festival came to a close at
Freedom Park with a delightful stage play performance of Love at War, as part
of British Council’s Shakespeare Lives project. The play is a Nigerian
adaptation of Two Noble Kinsmen directed by Segun Adefila and Jan-Willem Van
Den Bosch.
Reflecting on the weekend,
Director Arts, Ojoma Ochai said ‘ it is so easy to take a city like Lagos for
granted, but a festival like this allows us to stop and just wander round and
really look at the buildings in which the people of this wonderful city live,
work and play’
Open House Lagos is part of
British Council’s UK/Nigeria 2015–16 which is a major season of arts work in
Nigeria aimed at building new audiences, creating new collaborations and
strengthening relationships between both countries.
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