Burkinabè architect who in 2022 became the first black architect to win the Pritzker prize, considered architecture's equivalent of the Nobel. He is the best known of a cohort of African architects whose ideas are at the cutting edge of sustainable design.
Mr Kéré strives to use only materials that can be sourced locally, describing himself as "a construction-material opportunist". He favours clay-earth bricks, which can cost between 20% and 70% less than the concrete equivalents. His buildings rely on shade and natural ventilation rather than air-conditioning — a set of techniques known as "passive cooling" that are becoming increasingly common in hot countries around the world. He was influenced by Thomas Sankara, Burkina Faso's former president, who preached national self-reliance.
His mausoleum in Ouagadougou, part of a memorial for Thomas Sankara, is built from laterite stone without plaster. His first major project in America is the Las Vegas Museum of Art, expected to open in 2028, which will take inspiration from the nearby Nevada desert.
Mr Kéré has taught at Harvard and Yale. He grew up in Burkina Faso in the 1970s and 80s, a time when approaches using local materials were often scorned as "backwards".
Love cannot be much younger than the lust for murder.