Culture Lab

Originally published at: https://www.ronenbekerman.com/?p=135427

Hi,

For my Converted Project i selected a historical building located in an up and coming art district in my state. It was originally a printing press for the British colonials and served to distribute information in and around the newly formed colonial state as well as from the colonials mother land; England.

It’s perfect for three reasons,
1) In its prime it was in corridor of power; Colonial Secretariat, the seat of the Colonial Governor, Colonial Courts and the Colonial Prison. Now it will be used to uplift the culture and art of the indigines it was created to subjugate.
2) It is a beautifully perserved part of Nigeria’s history built in 1894 and would be a good starting point in redefining the art and history of Nigeria years after independence.
3) It is a fine example of Georgian architecture, it was built with imported bricks each one of which was stamped with the armorial bearings (‘broad arrow’) of the Quartermaster General of Britain which appeared on all British government property.

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Just from the exterior, I am getting a bit of Assassin’s Creed vibe. It’s probably because I spent too much time parkouring on rooftops in that series…but I digress :speak_no_evil:.

What are your ideas for the conversion? Also, I would love to see what they have in store on the inside; is it just office spaces now?

Sadly i haven’t played or watch the Assassin’s creed franchise…i know it sounds ridiculous. My idea for The Culture Lab is a modern minimal addition that compliments the historic identity.
Currently the ground floor is empty for workshops / historical tours and there are some spaces upstairs but in use sparingly as the interior is quite rundown. Unfortunately i don’t have pictures of the inside.