The building of Africa’s most iconic and technologically advanced museum could break ground in 2022 if all goes according to plan. The project dabbed Ngaren Museum of Human Kind, is set to be located within the expansive barren landscape of Turkana county in Kenya’s Rift Valley, where Kenyan-born archaeologist Dr. Richard Leakey made most of his archaeological discoveries.
Launched in 2017, the project was undertaken by world-renowned architect David Libeskind who designed the building in the shape of a primitive stone tool, 80 metres tall. According to the project’s publicity and funding page, rabbleworks, it has already raised $4.05 million out of the goal of $7m even though the total project is expected to cost more than $10m in total.
Ngaren Museum of Human Kind will feature a dedicated IP, fully immersive 3D dating back to stone ages and will include Africa’s largest digital planetarium. According to the architect, the experience is expected to match Sidney opera house, complete with state-of-the-art technology.
Dr. Richard Leakey has made several discoveries in the rift valley since he began his work more than 50 years ago. Ngaren which is meant to be a “cutting edge site for education and research into our origin, history and future-will break ground in 2022, opening to the public in 2024.”
“From the earliest tools of our ancestors to the insights of modern science, Ngaren will show visitors how humankind has rewritten the rules of the planet—and how our behavior must change if we are to survive here. Ngaren challenges us to learn from the past to build a better future”- a statement from the project’s sources says.
Once complete, the museum is anticipated to be a must-visit destination for all global travelers curious to know who we are, and the forces of change that brought us to this point. Further, your contributions will help the Terra Conservation Initiative provide sustainable development support to surrounding communities, recognizing the museum’s dependence on the site’s history, present, and future.
The architect, Mr. Libeskind has already designed a number of museums including the Jewish Museum in Berlin, Imperial War Museum North, Manchester; Denver Art Museum; Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco; Danish Jewish Museum; Royal Ontario Museum; and the Military History Museum, Dresden. In 2003, Studio Libeskind won the historic competition to create a master plan for the rebuilding of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan.
