Explore Kunlé Adeyemi's floating architecture

Blog post description.

7/1/20262 min read

white concrete building during daytime
white concrete building during daytime

Kunlé Adeyemi is a Nigerian architect, designer, and urbanist (born 1976) who founded NLÉ (an architecture, design, and urbanism practice with bases in Amsterdam and Lagos). He is best known for pioneering floating architecture as a response to climate change, rapid urbanization, flooding, and waterfront living in African cities. His work falls under the broader African Water Cities research project, which explores how communities can adapt to and thrive with water rather than fight it.

### Core Philosophy and Approach

Adeyemi's designs address the reality that many African cities (and ~70% of future urban growth) are waterfront or flood-prone. Instead of conventional land-based building, he develops floating, modular, adaptable structures using local or recycled materials. These are scalable for schools, housing, community hubs, cultural spaces, or infrastructure. Key principles include:

- Climate resilience and adaptation to rising waters.

- Community involvement and low-cost, self-build potential.

- Sustainability: Recycled materials (e.g., plastic barrels for buoyancy), local resources, and prefabrication.

- Multi-functionality: Structures that serve education, culture, or housing while acting as prototypes for larger urban regeneration.

### Makoko Floating School (MFS I, 2013)

This is Adeyemi’s breakthrough project in the Makoko waterfront community, Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria:

- Design: A-frame triangular structure (220 m²) on a base of 256 recycled plastic barrels in 16 wooden modules for buoyancy. Built with local labor and materials.

- Purpose: Primary school (capacity ~100 pupils) and community hub. It provided education in a flood-prone area where traditional schools were often inundated.

- Impact: Gained global acclaim (e.g., Silver Lion at 2016 Venice Biennale for MFS II replica). It highlighted African innovation in climate adaptation and inspired worldwide interest in floating architecture.

- Challenges: The prototype collapsed in 2016 after ~3 years of intensive use due to heavy rains, maintenance issues (e.g., corrosion in saline environment), and structural wear. No injuries occurred, as it had been decommissioned earlier. Lessons focused on durability, better connections, and ongoing maintenance.

The project was never fully rebuilt in its original form at scale in Makoko, but it succeeded as a prototype and catalyst.

### Evolution: Makoko Floating System (MFS) Iterations

NLÉ has refined the system into prefabricated, improved versions (MFS II, III, etc.):

- MFS II: Shown at Venice Biennale; enhanced design.

- MFS III (e.g., in Chengdu, China): Multiple scales (small/medium/large); adapted for different contexts.

- MFS IV: Floating Music Hub in Mindelo, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) — a recording studio, venue, and bar.

- Later versions emphasize self-build kits, industrialization, and broader applications (housing, clinics, markets). A sixth iteration has been exhibited in Rotterdam.

These iterations incorporate feedback for better durability, modularity, and performance in diverse climates.

### Broader Work and African Water Cities

- Research and Publication: African Water Cities (book) compiles essays, photos, and visions of waterfront communities (e.g., Makoko, Abidjan). It advocates nature-based solutions and living with water.

- Other Projects: Chicoco Radio (floating media center in Port Harcourt, Nigeria); amphibious buildings; urban regeneration plans. NLÉ works on education, culture, and development across Africa and beyond.

- Scaling Efforts: Ongoing UN-supported pilots and larger applications in Nigeria and internationally to address housing shortages and climate adaptation.

### Significance and Legacy

Adeyemi’s floating architecture shifts the narrative from vulnerability to opportunity in water cities. It demonstrates low-tech, high-impact solutions that are replicable, affordable, and culturally attuned. While the original Makoko school faced real-world limitations (common in prototypes), its iterations and global influence have advanced discussions on resilient urbanism in the Global South.

His practice continues innovating through NLÉ, blending research, community engagement, and built prototypes. For more, visit [nleworks.com](https://nleworks.com/) or explore African Water Cities. Adeyemi’s work remains a key reference in contemporary African (and global) sustainable design.