Andrea Ferro documents Dakar's endangered bubble houses
Italian photographer captures Senegal's unique architectural heritage
1Documenting unique architecture
Italian photographer Andrea Ferro has captured Dakar's 1950s bubble houses under threat of demolition. These concrete dome homes, built using inflatable techniques, represent a rare architectural example globally. Ferro aims to document both their architectural significance and the daily life within them.
2Wallace Neff's legacy
American architect Wallace Neff's California concept inspired over 1,200 bubble houses in Dakar until the 1970s. Created by spraying cement over inflated dome-shaped balloons, these structures offered low-cost, climate-adaptive solutions. Today, all original US examples have been demolished.
3Post-colonial housing crisis
Post-WWII Dakar faced severe housing shortages under French colonial administration. Neff's bubble houses were adopted by authorities for being quick to build, material-light and climate-appropriate. Entire neighborhoods were created in areas like Ouakam and Hann.
4A disappearing heritage
From 1,200 in the 1970s, fewer than 100 bubble houses remain today. Dakar's expansion, material aging and urban renewal projects have destroyed most. While many remaining are still occupied, marine climate damage to thin ferro-cement shells makes them vulnerable.
5Preservation efforts
Architect-turned-photographer Ferro hopes to boost preservation chances by raising awareness. Suggestions include protecting key clusters, publishing simple retrofit guides and initiating model restoration projects. His photos reveal the fragile legacy of tropical modernism.
6The importance of architectural memory
Ferro's work questions the balance between urban development and architectural preservation. Bubble houses are living historical documents reflecting Dakar's social fabric and unique architectural experiment. The project reminds us why documenting endangered cultural heritage matters.