Does Lagos Have an Architectural Identity Crisis?

The architectural identity of Lagos is at a crossroads. It got there on the back of urbanization and economic growth. While these major influences have led to remarkable development, they have eroded the spirit of place in Lagos. Is this a problem or an opportunity?

When you think about Lagos, what comes to your mind? Do you see the night lights of Civic Towers in Victoria Island, rising high against the background of the crumbling facades of colonial relics in Lagos Island? Perhaps you remember the rambling alleys of Mushin with their unrelenting energy and makeshift structures, making you wonder if gravity works in Lagos. Possibly, your memory of Lagos is only of Ikoyi’s gated opulence, which tells of Lagos as the centre of excellence. Makoko’s floating slums drifting in forgotten waters, hanging between survival and neglect, might also come to mind. Perhaps memory takes you to Alausa, and you see the old and new government edifices speaking both of modern Lagos as much as of the city’s past. Maybe memory lane takes you to Agege, where concrete boxes sprout wantonly, their forms as unplanned as the streets they shape.

Lagos’s architecture is varied and historically specific. Every part of the city tells a different story in its architectural composition and identity. They are like choristers singing different voices all at once. With little harmony, Lagos, with its vibrant chaos, appears to lack a unifying architectural soul. The city’s modern architectural identity struggles to counterbalance the yearning for global modernity with the weight of its cultural roots and its diverse historical influences, leaving behind a cityscape where innovation and technological advancements fail to blend with the spirit of place...