Hugh Masekela Memorial Pavilion
Johannesburg, South Africa (2019)
African monuments are a place of gathering and reflection, they help us edify the significance of our ancestors, our heritage and culture. Monuments act as a reminder of our duty in the present to honour the past, they spur us to make a better future. - David Adjaye
The Hugh Masekela Memorial Pavilion was designed in honor of iconic African trumpeter and revered Pan-Africanist Hugh Ramapolo Masekela. The design adapted burial rituals and practices wherein, a dignified structure was created to host family and visitors who gather to reflect and commune with the departed. The creation of the structured gathering space for the departed, a perforated pavilion roof top design mimicking the local flora of the African landscape, and the base of the pavilion inscribed with a statement by the Masekela family displayed how the pavilion was a befitting expression of the values, ethos and practices of the Pan-African heritage and culture upheld by Masekela throughout his life and commitment to a truly post-colonial African landscape.
