Traveller Pierre Yuan visits Dandaji Market and Hikma
it is always really heartwarming when people show appreciation of our work. But this is a first for us. Pierre Yuan is a Chinese teacher and traveller who has been working in our neighbouring country, Benin, for the past few years. Upon coming across our work he decided to travel to the village of Dandaji so that he could view the Hikma Religious and Secular Complex as well as the Dandaji Regional Market with his own eyes. He shared some of the pictures from his travels with us as well as his thoughts on the project.
An avid cyclist, Pierre once travelled by bike from Benin to China, which took him one year and a total distance of 16,000kms. He says: “I just wanted to show my people how Africa is. After staying several years in West Africa, I know that the world is not what we have seen from internet or media. We had better discover with our own eyes. I, personally, had no problem when I cycled through 11 African countries. But how about the news from the media? Ebola? Malaria? illegal immigration? Robbery? No, there are so many amazing things we haven't found in this continent. Seeing is believing.”
Hikma Religious and Secular Complex is a site where a derelict mosque was turned into a library that shares its site with a new mosque in the village of Dandaji in Niger. Picture by Pierre Yuan.
The project is a culture and education hub where the secular and the religious peacefully co-exist to cultivate minds and strengthen the community, which has a very young population of 3000 people. Picture by Pierre Yuan.
“ The mosque is spectacular. The masomi team once again used the most basic and original materials of the land to create a specific traditional structure and system. The shape and colour of the mosque makes it unique in the world. More importantly, it is friendly to the locals. It’s not a show.
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The main goal of the Dandaji Regional Market was to create a space that projects a sense of confidence and aspirations for the future in the users. Picture by Pierre Yuan.
The project design references the area’s traditional market architecture of adobe posts and reed roofs, pushing the typology forward using compressed earth bricks and metal for durability. Picture by Pierre Yuan.