Obafemi Awolowo University Campus
These images were produced on commission for The New York Times to mark 100 years of the Bauhaus. Photographing Obafemi Awolowo University Campus in Ile-Ife, an ancient Yoruba city, brought to light the well-thought-out and spectacular design of its campus, which matches the surrounding scenic beauty. Designed in the 1960s by Israeli architect Arieh Sharon, a student of the Bauhaus school of thought, the campus was commissioned by the Nigerian government as a reflection of functionality, simplicity, and Yoruba cultural identity, free from colonial influence. Among its most distinctive features are the upside-down pyramid-shaped buildings, designed to provide shade while allowing natural airflow, and an obelisk form reminiscent of the Òrànmíyàn Staff, referencing Yoruba mythology and history.
