• • 21 November 2025
  • 
  •  Datum Editorial
• Conservation , Contemporary Swahili , Exhibition , Swahili Architecture , Cultural Centres ,

The 2025 Lamu Architecture and Conservation Exhibition showcases the works of Graduate students and highlights the dynamic possibilities of promoting local development through design partnerships.

Lamu’s architectural legacy has become a focal point of interest around the world. Lamu Old Town, with its intricate system of narrow streets, wooden verandas, carved doors, and mangrove wood structures, is a living exhibition of cultural form and its evolution to accommodate pressures exerted from within and beyond its boundaries. With over 700 years of history, the UNESCO World Heritage Site remains one of the best-preserved Swahili settlements in East Africa.

Alternative forms of Incorporation

Over the past four decades, students from local and international universities have made significant contributions to understanding the town's conservation needs, with their work becoming a key reference for site authorities. Lamu Old Town has served as a dynamic study ground for architecture students, providing unique opportunities to explore conservation techniques and modern interventions in historic buildings.  

The exhibition showcases various approaches to balance conservation with contemporary needs, with renowned architects and conservation experts expected to contribute with valuable insights into how these ideas can be integrated into real-world applications.

The selected works prominently feature a variety of architectural solutions ranging from adaptive reuse, urban revitalization projects and the emergence of new building typologies. Focusing on different facets of Swahili settlements in Lamu Town, the proposals include cultural and vocational training centres, public auditoriums, bazaar-street revitalization, Swahili markets, green spaces, boat-building facilities, and seafront revitalization projects. 

From the Curators 

Mohammed Mwenje’s ambition of ‘stepping forward while looking back’ is a formidable vision for Lamu’s development. The exhibition’s conceptualization is a reflection on the role of architecture in providing visionary solutions, while preserving its cultural legacy. As the Curator of Lamu Museums and Sites, and lead curator of the exhibition, Mwenje has worked with students from local and international universities, providing insights into Lamu’s history, and ensuring that the students’ work aligns with Lamu’s heritage conservation guidelines and UNESCO’s World Heritage criteria. 

The National Museums of Kenya, through the adoption of the UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, seeks to balance conservation efforts with sustainable development. Mwenje believes that the student projects address the town’s challenges, offering a thought-provoking platform for exploring potential interventions to ensure both the town’s growth and preservation. With this exhibition, local authorities and community members can visualize and draw inspiration from architectural concepts. The selected works also serve as a point source for investors looking for diversified opportunities in Lamu.

Mumbi Maina, architect and faculty member at the University of Nairobi’s School of Architecture, serves as an academic partner for the exhibition. With expansive experience in coordinating design studios, Mumbi’s determination over the past months has been to select and curate works produced by final-year (6th-year) undergraduate architecture students done over the last decade or so. Each of these projects was developed over a full academic year in direct response to Lamu’s unique built and cultural landscape. The selected pieces explore coastal vernacular techniques, climate-responsive design, material innovation, and the evolving role of public space in Swahili towns. They range from detailed documentation and restoration proposals to speculative interventions and beautifully imaginative renders.

Bringing these strong academic works back to the very place that inspired them creates a meaningful dialogue between emerging designers and Lamu’s living heritage. 

Peninah Mutonga, architect, educator and Editor of Archidatum, has engaged with Lamu’s Swahili cultural heritage, propelling ideas about urban change, everyday life, and the rising demand for housing, all of which are crucial to Lamu’s development. With a focus on the role of heritage conservation in sustainable urban development, Mutonga contributes with design solutions and curation of the exhibition theme. The exhibition generates a broader conversation about the urban challenges facing World Heritage Sites, among them housing, and a need for commercial spaces and light industries, providing an opportunity to engage different stakeholders.  

By showcasing the role of design, and linking up with the Lamu Cultural Festival, the exhibition provides a unique platform to engage the local community, bridging the gaps between design, community and action.

Selected works include those of Eric Kuria | George Masinjila | Peninah Mutonga | Cynthia Wahito | Joy Juma | Kevin Murimi | Mwaniki Joy |