architecture
MONUMENTAL THINKING Mariam Kamara’s approach to architecture is vigorous, unapologetic, inquisitive and empowering. She is the founder of architecture practice atelier masōmī, based in Niamey, and the studio’s many projects across her home country of Niger offer dignified spaces that benefit and serve local and regional communities. Whether it is a religious school and mosque or a monumental cultural centre, for Kamara, architecture and public space are a basic human right, and one that can be used to instil confidence, dismantle stereotypes and celebrate context, all while allowing people to dream bigger. INTERVIEW BY AIDAN IMANOVA 56
