Lagos-based architects Oshinowo Studio have revealed a new memorial design commissioned by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) to honor the fallen of the Sierra Leone Carrier Corps during World War I. The design is an intervention into the existing Freetown Memorial, built in 1930 and designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
The existing podium, located outside the Secretariat Building in Freetown, commemorates soldiers of the First World War and later incorporated servicemen from the Second World War by removing a small mention of the men of the Carrier Corps, a removal this project seeks to address. Studio founder Tosin Oshinowo is the first woman and the first West African architect to design a memorial for the CWGC.
During the First World War, non-combatant laborers and soldiers from across Africa contributed to war campaigns. The Carrier Corps were enlisted to transport supplies and materials across terrain that was impassable to vehicles and animals. Many died in service and, according to the CWGC, have never been properly commemorated. The CWGC's objective is for this memorial to serve as a focal point for World War remembrance during significant anniversaries and festivals. Oshinowo Studio responded with a translucent design featuring integrated lighting to illuminate the public space on appropriate occasions.
The Freetown Memorial sits in a courtyard flanked by government treasury buildings and is surrounded by a 7x7-meter perimeter. In the new design, a structural glass prism is placed above the existing monument, a stone podium with a square base over two meters high, bringing the total height to nine meters. The 946 names of the commemorated will be etched onto the glass blades, following archival research by CWGC historians and on-the-ground consultation led by West African heritage consultants. The design features a beacon of light, capable of shining a beam visible in the night sky from a 2.5 km radius. The goal is for the memorial's presence to extend beyond its physical boundaries, reaching residents and observers across the city.
Honouring the past, shaping the future, our design for the Freetown memorial stands not only as a tribute to the fallen, those who lost their lives during the First World War, but as a symbol of Sierra Leoneans' collective commemoration, representing cost of war and a people's resilience, as well as the global commitment to peace for generations to come. - Architect Tosin Oshinowo
In other recent news, studio founder Tosin Oshinowo received a special mention for her installation at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, titled Alternative Urbanism: The Self-Organised Markets of Lagos. Among the 65 national pavilions, this year's Biennale included new African representation: the Republic of Togo, with a pavilion showcasing its architectural heritage. Egypt is also represented with an exhibition titled Let's Grasp the Mirage, offering an interactive exploration of sustainability through the symbolic lens of the Egyptian oasis.
