Passage investigates the relationship between cultural memory, architectural heritage and everyday spatial practices in Grand-Bassam, a UNESCO-listed coastal city shaped by colonial histories, indigenous settlements and shifting ecologies. Questioning conventional approaches to heritage preservation, the project explores how existing structures and overlooked spaces can become active sites of collective life.
Through spatial mapping and architectural surveys, the project develops KELE, a portable civic instrument that explores the potential of small-scale interventions to activate public space. This investigation informs three interconnected propositions: MMERE DANE, a civic forum; SANKOFA, a centre for learning and cultural transmission; and BOA ME NA, a space for market exchange and gathering.
Grounded in a strategy of Non-Reactive Activation, Passage proposes an incremental approach to architectural transformation, working with the city's existing material, social and historical layers rather than replacing them.