Kwame Nkrumah University Library (1953) by James Cubitt and Partners Locate in the Kumasi Forest, within the campus of Kumasi University of science of technology, lies the Old wing of the Central Library was constructed by James Cubitt and Partners architects. The building was conceived during 1953 the time when Africa Modernism was emerging. The architect James Cubitt, alongside other architects such as Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry, were promoting a new type of “Tropical modernism” in Africa. The Library is located at the most central area of the Campus, and is separated into two wings, the Reference Wing and the Service wing linked together by a pinwheel plan configuration. Structure The 4 storey library is supported by waffle slabs and structural columns which allows for large open plans with minimal bearing wall. These spaces serve as reading area and referencing area for the library. The structural strategy allows the architect to employ a series of glass louver facades that enwrap the building. Sun Rain Kamusai experience a tropical wet and dry climate. The annual rainfall count stands at 787mm in Ghana with its wet season from April-June and dry season from December-February. The average annual temperature is 32 degrees. Contrary to the vernacular architecture of Ghana, often involves protective thick envelops to insulate from the high temperature and shelter against the monsoon rain, KNUST library is an example of an architect’s ambition to reduce the separation of a building’s interior to its tropical exterior. The delicate glass louver façade exposes the library to the full effects of Kamusai’s tropical climate. Hence the configuration of the interior furniture layout is responsive to the exterior climate.
Tan, Jason. Photographer. KNUST Library. April 2014.
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KNUST Library
Chen Ronglyu, Tan Keng Chuan, Woo Jie Kai