African public space may well provide successful solutions for public space challenges in the West – was the conclusion of the jury of the Blueprints of Paradise competition, developed by the Afrika Museum and AAmatters in 2010.

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As part of the Dak’art Biannual, the College Universitaire de l’Architecture de Dakar and AAmatters explored this further in a workshop with over 40 students of the 1st to 3rd year of the school, taking place in the week before the Dak’art Biannual 2012, being opened by Senegal’s new Minister of Culture Yousou N’Dour on the 11th of May. 

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The results of this workshop, 6 proposals that aim to optimise the public space in and around Amsterdam CS, introducing ‘structured order’, ‘improved interconnectivity’ and multiple, more spontaneous and flexible use of the space, were presented during the exhibition ‘Vision sénégalaise sur l’espace public aux Pays-Bas: La Gare Centrale d’Amsterdam Réinventée’ as part of the OFF programme of the Dak’art Biannual. The exhibition was held in the garden of the Residence of the Dutch Ambassador, at the Rue des Ambassadeurs in Dakar between 18 May and 1 June 2012.

The workshop was run by Mamadou Jean-Charles Tall, Mouhamadou Naby Kane (both CUAD), Cherif Diattara, Mbaye Sene (both Archi Art Concept) and Berend van der Lans (AAmatters). The project is supported by the Royal Netherlands embassy in Dakar.