Cave Cove Canopy

Kenya

2 min read

Canopy Cafe is one of the most serene spaces to enjoy a meal or meet someone in urbane Nairobi.

NAIROBI, Kenya, January 9, 2024/-- A few years ago I had joined a cult. Not the Shakahola type but a curvilinear one. Again, not the skirting one. An architectural anomaly of the Calatrava type. I hope now we are together?

These were the trenches days. The campus days. When honing of skills and styles alike was a prerequisite. The horny ones quickly developed styles, “stingos” for the Kenyan urbanites.

One could call himself or herself (yes, gender parity was well observed in architecture school) a modernist, a post-modernist, or an African vernacularist. These vernacularists, con-men for lack of a better description, is where the pot was cooking. And I might have eaten from their poisoned pot.

The food poisoning I suffered from eating the soup of these budding future architects was not just nausea. And if my output that is the pin-ups was anything to go by, this was fatal. The entrée was a mix of incongruous architectural styles, finicky philosophies, and self-loathing.

A fine lecturer had earlier warned us of “lipstick architecture” and its genesis. But could the young vanguard of architecture and its theories heed to the advice of an architect past his time? This childish hubris bore this kid down here, which I presented as a testament of spending 4 years plus in school.

What I presented for review, Noise...

Detours and finding a path...

I haven't found one yet! How anticlimactic! I have found coming up with one takes time. Yes, patience and her little sister grit.

Having observed many practitioners in the design world, and actually profiled many through their works; I have found out that creating a unique style ripe for replication is not easy. Most live, work, and die bound with the “lipstick” part. Which might also be fine, but not okay.

So, I called myself for a small meeting and we agreed with my alter ego to brute-force the process. How you may ask? The old-fashioned way. Learning from others, and mostly the not successful ones or to be specific those who were just within the reach of being successful.

In this pursuit I hope I have improved my craft, and might harness this fantastical style. In learning and development of my style, I took a micro approach. Studying the detailing of pros. From it I believe I could develop a bigger picture of the language used.

And to end this rambling, I wish to acknowledge the work done at the Canopy Cafe in Kilimani, within Ushuru Sacco Centre building. The use of curvilinear form is successful. The cave, cove, and Canopy; makes the place a delightful place to be.

Here is the interior of Canopy Cafe Nairobi

Just to add, Canopy Cafe is one of the most serene spaces to enjoy a meal or meet someone in urbane Nairobi. Plus, the choice of background music is top notch. The alcoves, furniture, and staff are good too.

May the Year Break!

P.S By the Way, Happy New Year!

By Phineahs Munene

email feedback to phineahs [at] wazomoja.com

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