Colourful Shades in Niger: Dandaji Daily Market by Atelier Masomi

In rural Niger, markets are held weekly. As a rule, stand operators move their wares from village to village. However, the quickly growing population in the village of Dandaji has determined the need for a permanent marketplace that will allow local inhabitants to develop a reliable trade system.

Designed by Mariam Kamara, founder and principal at Atelier Masomi, the Dandaji Daily Market has created a new infrastructure on the existing marketplace. It takes up the original wood and straw structures to enable the organization of a regularly occurring market. Colourful metal canopies provide shelter from the sun and heat to the sales stands below.

According to Atelier Masomi, the overall ensemble is a whimsical world whose round roofing elements protect market vendors and buyers from the intense heat. Structures made of compressed earth blocks (CEB) also contribute to cooling the spaces. The community’s ancestral tree reigns over the centre of the Dandaji Daily Market; the market’s new design has transformed the area surrounding the tree into a public area featuring places to sit and rest.

Further information: 

Total site area: 7530 m²

Lead Architect: Mariam Kamara

Design Team: Mariam Kamara, Harouna Diallo.

Contractor: Entreprise Salou Alpha & Fils

Metal Fabrication: Atelier de Technologie Métallique