Toronto-based designer Temitope Akinsiku has won the international competition to transform Lagos’ historic Ijora Power Station into a vibrant cultural hub.
His winning proposal, Power Pass Power, was chosen for its bold blend of heritage, innovation, and community-centered design.Body:The open international competition, organized by Team NowNow in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut’s Art/Space Negotiation project, called on creatives to reimagine the long-abandoned power station into an inclusive space for art, education, and cultural expression.
Akinsiku collaborated with art and tech designer Victor Igene and graphic designer Emmanuel Etim. Their design, described as an architectural “dance,” seeks to preserve the station’s original structure while infusing it with “the city’s vibrant energy and resilient creative spirit.”
“This dance blends the building’s spatial character with the city’s vibrant energy and resilient creative spirit to give the old station a new life as a cultural powerhouse for Nigeria’s creative industry,” the team stated.
The proposal includes adaptable exhibition areas, learning spaces, and facilities for film and art production.
Inspired by Lagos’ informal sector, the design embraces modularity, community spaces, and unorthodox public art platforms like roadside galleries and newspaper stands.“Our design mirrors this language by creating adaptable spaces and communal areas that facilitate collective artistic development,” said the team.
They added, “Here, the phrase ‘Power Pass Power’ does not reflect a struggle between energy forms. Rather, it acknowledges the city’s abundant creativity as a vital form of power.”
The competition attracted global entries. Second place went to Ijora Legacy Centre: A Cultural Dialogue by Fundokuhle Kubheka, while Ijora Arts District by Raymond Oloo with Justus Lohrke and Florentine Seidler took third.
Honourable mentions were awarded to several other multidisciplinary teams.Launched to spark ideas for adaptive reuse, the competition targeted the 82,749m² site which first powered Lagos in 1923.
Submissions were encouraged to incorporate diverse spaces including theatres, studios, classrooms, and more, linking with nearby cultural landmarks like the National Arts Theatre and Freedom Park.
The winning team receives a US$1,500 prize, with $600 and $200 awarded for second and third places respectively.
