Sir David Adjaye to Design EMOWAA Museum in Nigeria, Integrating Benin Bronzes

The Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) will be built in Benin City, Nigeria, on an archaeological site where the largest excavations in the country are underway. Designed by Sir David Adjaye, the first Black architect to receive the RIBA Gold Medal, the museum is a collaboration with the British Museum. Construction is expected over the next five years. Adjaye stated he is "honored and inspired" to create "a place to recover the collective memory of the past to instill a sense of greatness of lost civilizations." The museum aims to house the largest collection of Benin Bronzes worldwide, addressing the contentious issue of colonial-era looting. The bronzes, dating from the 13th century, were taken by British forces in 1897. British Museum director Hartwig Fischer emphasized the partnership as a means to develop a shared understanding of cultural heritage. The project follows growing pressure for restitution, including Macron's actions in France and student campaigns at Cambridge's Jesus College for the return of a looted cockerel.