Bidi Bidi Pavilion Uganda building design award news

Bidi Bidi Pavilion Uganda Building

11 June 2026

Design: Hassell with LocalWorks

Location: north Uganda, Africa

Bidi Bidi Refugee Music & Arts Centre Award News

ARTS CENTRE FOR REFUGEES WINS PRESTIGIOUS RIBA AWARD

THE BIDI BIDI PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE, A TO.ORG FOUNDATION

Project Designed By Hassell, Receives International Award For Excellence By The Royal Institute Of British Architects

Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre is a groundbreaking initiative providing a platform for creative expression, training, and performance in northern Uganda’s Bidi Bidi refugee settlement, home to more than a quarter of a million displaced people.

Photos courtesy of to.org Photographer Mutua Matheka

11th June 2026 – A first of its kind philanthropic concept aimed to establish creative infrastructure, and unite refugee and host communities in Uganda’s Bidi Bidi refugee settlement has won the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects International Award for Excellence 2026.

Awarded by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) to projects that demonstrate
visionary thinking, design innovation, and meaningful social impact, the RIBA International
Awards for Excellence are among the world’s most rigorously judged architecture accolades for
buildings outside the UK. Each shortlisted project is visited in person by a RIBA-appointed Local
Ambassador, with winners subsequently considered for the prestigious RIBA International Prize
– awarded to the single most transformative new building in the world. The Bidi Bidi Performing
Arts Centre, designed by international architecture practice Hassell and conceptualised and led
by the to.org Foundation, was launched in late 2023. Since its launch it has provided a platform
which prioritises creativity as a tool for expression, trauma reduction, and youth development for
the quarter of a million displaced people living in Bidi Bidi.

“Winning this award is deeply meaningful because it recognises what design can achieve when
creativity and community come together,” said Xavier De Kestelier, Head of Design at
Hassell. “The Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre stretches beyond its building; it is a living piece
of architecture shaped by material innovation and the people who use it. Seeing residents
embrace the space with such pride and energy is the real measure of success. I’m grateful to
our partners at to.org for their trust and commitment throughout this journey. This accolade
affirms that thoughtful, locally grounded design can have profound impact, even in the most
challenging contexts.”

“We are immensely proud that Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre has been recognised by RIBA,
proving that displaced communities deserve beautiful, world-class architecture that allows talent
to truly thrive,” said Nachson Mimran, co-founder of to.org, and visionary behind the Bidi
Bidi Performing Arts Centre project. “Thank you to RIBA, and to our visionary design
partners at Hassell and Localworks, for helping us show the world that creative infrastructure is
crucial for refugee settlements. This project serves as a powerful proof of concept, laying the
foundation for wildly ambitious infrastructure initiatives we are excited to announce in the near
future. If you bring infrastructure and a platform to talent, talent can thrive.”

“While we are immensely proud that our Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre has been recognised
with this award, to us it is far more than just a building; it is a testament to the resilience and
creativity of displaced communities. Since launching in late 2023, it has provided a vital platform
for 285,000 residents from 19 different countries to convene, create, and build stronger
community bonds,” said Mawa Zacharia, co-founder and General Manager of SINA
LOKETA. “My community and I use this space daily, performing in the amphitheatre, learning
new skills in the classrooms, and collaborating and monetising our talent in the recording studio.
Through SINA LOKETA, we are bringing musicians and performers together to teach and learn
from one another. This award-winning centre gives us a sanctuary to reclaim our narratives,
celebrate our cultures, and heal from trauma together.”

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Led by the to.org Foundation and designed by Hassell with collaborators Arup, LocalWorks, and SINA
LOKETA, Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre is a groundbreaking initiative providing a platform for creative
expression, training, and performance in northern Uganda’s Bidi Bidi refugee settlement, Africa’s largest
refugee settlement and home to more than a quarter of a million displaced people.

The centre has been thriving since the community’s inauguration in early December 2023, and has
become a hub where settlement youth gather to create together, share music and dance traditions, and
find community.

During the inauguration of the project a display of unity and talent featured a diverse array of
performances, ranging from traditional South Sudanese music and dance, to contemporary
choreography. The centre’s opening marked a significant milestone in demonstrating the transformative
power of participatory arts in refugee settlements.

The community’s inauguration in December 2023 featured a
diverse array of performances. The centre’s opening marked a
significant milestone in demonstrating the transformative power
of participatory arts in refugee settlements.
Image courtesy of to.org Photographer Mutua Matheka
Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre has been thriving since the
community’s inauguration in December 2023, & has swiftly
become a hub where settlement youth gather to create
together, share music & dance traditions, & find community.

COMMUNITY

In 2016, this region of northern Uganda, 600 kilometres north of Uganda’s capital Kampala, was sparsely
populated, scattered with remote village communities surviving on hunting and small livestock farming.

Today, Bidi Bidi is one of the largest refugee settlements on the African continent covering 250 square
kilometres and is home to more than a quarter of a million refugees, the majority having fled endemic
violent conflict in South Sudan. Youth under the age of 18 comprise 65% of those living in Bidi Bidi, where
they face the challenges associated with a lack of access to education and creative outlets.

Under the direction of the to.org Foundation this project brought the Bidi Bidi community into collaboration
with global architecture practice Hassell, Kampala-based design studio LocalWorks, and international
engineers Arup to create a building which will support community and empower creativity, with the goal of
creating opportunity and reframing the narrative around what it means to be a refugee.

ChezaCheza, a Kenya-based nonprofit, and Playing for Change Foundation supports the project with
ongoing dance programming.

DESIGN

The construction of Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre used low-cost low-carbon local building materials,
and was built by a labour force comprising refugees and Ugandans from the local host community. The
walls of the building are made from compressed stabilised earth blocks (CSEB), using soil excavated
from the site, hand pressed in situ and cured in the sun. By using non-fired bricks, the team reduced
construction costs and the impact on the environment, as firewood is a scarce resource within the region.

Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre’s design speaks to the local heritage and existing architecture of northern
Uganda and South Sudan. Hassell used only local and easily accessible materials in the building of the
walls, supplemented by a lightweight steel roof structure prefabricated in Kampala, Uganda – refraining
from using further wood from the local area due to regional deforestation. The offset roof acts as a
protective shield from adverse weather for the earthen walls, alongside offering shade and ventilation for
communities using the space.

The positioning of the bricks affords daylight and ventilation for permeating wider spaces. These specific
brick patterns also absorb and diffuse sound in the performing space, classroom and recording studio,
which further optimises the spaces acoustically. A wide row of floor-to-ceiling doors ensures that the
centre can be opened to the rest of the community, from small groups to hundreds of people.

Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre’s construction used low-cost
low-carbon local building materials, with a labour force
comprising refugees & host community Ugandans.

Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre’s elliptical plan allows the
building to have two centres, one allowing for daylight &
rainwater & the other forming a stage for the amphitheatre.

The project design also includes vital facilities for water collection, a tree nursery, and a vegetable
garden. The to.org Foundation has planted thousands of fruit trees, including guava and mango,
establishing a vibrant permaculture demonstration garden, fostering sustainable agriculture and
environmental stewardship while providing agriculture opportunities and a source of fresh produce in the
aftermath of the massive reduction in UNHCR food rations across Uganda since 2021 and USAID’s
significantly reduced support to the region since 2025.

To.org brought together a collective of internationally recognised design partners with extensive
experience. The design team was led by Xavier De Kestelier, Head of Design at global architecture
practice Hassell, in collaboration with LocalWorks, a multi-disciplinary design-build collective of architects
based in Uganda; Kenya-founded landscape designers The Landscape Studio; and Tateo Nakajima,
Director at ARUP, who is also a trained classical violinist and conductor.

DONOR GENEROSITY

The to.org network was instrumental in the development of Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre through
generous financial donations towards the construction costs. This includes several philanthropic families
and prominent individuals working in the performative arts.

In honour of the late prominent Ecuadorian journalist Maria Cristina Tamayo Paladines, her loved ones
alongside the chairman and president of SATCAP LLC, Sebastian Angulo Tamayo, have been an
essential part of bringing this project together to acknowledge her philanthropic efforts that defined her life
and legacy.

PRO BONO DESIGN

To.org extends its gratitude to its architecture partners, Hassell and Arup, for their invaluable
contributions to this transformative project.

“The realisation of Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre is a powerful testament to the operational excellence
and deep commitment of Hassell and Arup. Their unwavering dedication, manifested in countless hours
of donated design and construction expertise, was absolutely critical to this project’s success. This vital
contribution goes beyond simple pro bono work; it exemplifies a shared commitment to sustainable and
community-building development worldwide.” said Brian Harris, Chief Executive Officer at to.org
Foundation. “Without the seamless integration of their specialised skills and resource support, this
visionary space would not have moved from concept to reality. This collaboration effectively demonstrates
how the philanthropic sector can successfully partner with leading architecture and design firms to create
necessary infrastructure that is both functionally robust and aesthetically significant. On behalf of the
entire to.org Foundation, we recognise and are profoundly thankful for Hassell and Arup’s exceptional
partnership, which provides a lasting, positive impact on the Bidi Bidi community and serves as a model
for our future cities initiatives.”

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PROJECT DATA

Project conception and leadership: to.org
Project name: Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre
Location: Bidi Bidi, Uganda
Area: 641 sqm
Start on site: 2022
Completion date: December 2023
Architecture: Hassell with LocalWorks
Contractor: LocalWorks
Engineering: Arup and LocalWorks

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ABOUT TO.ORG

To.org is a platform that operates in venture capital, philanthropy, and the creative space, uniting all three on a
mission of ‘tikkun olam’. Founded by Nachson and Arieh Mimran, the organisation is built around the fundamental
belief that in order to heal the world we must take a creative approach and incubate the relationships and talent that
make the world a better place.

The to.org mission is achieved in four distinct ways: 1) the to.org Foundation – accelerating vital solutions to Earth’s
greatest challenges; 2) to.org Create – amplifying Earth’s most vital ideas; 3) to.org Ventures – investing to
accelerate Earth’s most vital ventures; 4) to.org Collection – driving engagement with provocative commissions.

Website: https://to.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/to.org_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/toorg/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/tostudios
Nachson Mimran Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nachson_/

ABOUT HASSELL

Hassell is a leading international design practice with studios in Asia, Australia, the United States, and the United
Kingdom. Our purpose is to design the world’s best places – places people love. We do this by combining strategic
insight with creative design to unlock the social, cultural and economic value of places.

We collaborate with the best minds in research, industry and design worldwide and we’re committed to making a positive impact on communities
and our environment. Recent projects include a climate responsive 3D printed pavilion and a Mars habitat, First Light
Pavilion at Jodrell Bank and a new campus masterplan for the University of Brighton in the UK, Riverside Green and
Park Avenue Central, Central Green Forest Park in Beijing, HSBC in Hong Kong, Sixty Martin Place in Sydney,
Resilient South City in San Francisco, WA Museum Boola Bardip and the new Sydney Metro North West and
Melbourne Metro projects.

Website: https://www.hassellstudio.com
Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-918134452
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassell_studio/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hassell
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HASSELL_Studio
Weibo: http://e.weibo.com/hassellstudio
Youku: http://u.youku.com/HASSELLstudio

ABOUT LOCALWORKS

Localworks is a multidisciplinary design-build collective of architects, engineers and landscape designers based in
Kampala, Uganda and is composed of Studio FH Architects founded by Felix Holland; structural engineers Aquila
Gallery; and technology experts EquatorSun. They are supported by The Landscape Studio, with whom they work
closely on all projects.

This collective aims to work on projects that reflect their local environment and context,
creating buildings which are not only sustainable and environmentally-conscious but also manageable for the local
community. With the Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre they are working closely with Hassell on a concept
integrating the landscape into the design – a dance space arranged under the canopy of a giant ficus tree. With their
extensive experience in Uganda, professional relationships, and their deep understanding of working with local
construction teams, Localworks will be essential to the success of this project.

ABOUT ARUP

Dedicated to sustainable development, Arup is a collective of designers, consultants and experts working globally.
Founded to be humane and excellent, we collaborate with our clients and partners using imagination, technology, and
rigour to shape a better world.

ABOUT SINA LOKETA

SINA Loketa (SINAL), established as a Ugandan NGO in 2018, is committed to working with disadvantaged
communities. Their focus is on entrepreneurship, peace building, ICT and digital inclusion, sustainable agriculture,
and sustainability in entrepreneurship, providing increased access to decent work and economic growth.

ABOUT CHEZACHEZA

ChezaCheza provides free dance classes that create a safe space where children can be creative, develop life skills
and get mentorship to help them make more informed life choices. Their purpose is to nurture a future generation of
children in informal settlements to have a healthy and safe life.

Young children in urban informal settlements face different challenges, which include drugs, crime, rape and teen
pregnancies. To navigate these challenges and make informed decisions, they need life skills education and
mentorship. Dance education has shown to improve school attendance, learning outcomes, social competencies,
creative thinking and problem-solving. ChezaCheza therefore uses dance in a unique way where they offer an afterschool
dance program which incorporates a life skill curriculum and offers mentorship by our teachers.
More: chezachezadance.org

ABOUT BRIDGES FOR MUSIC

Bridges for Music is a non profit organisation focused on empowering young talent from under-served communities to
become creative change-makers, providing 21st century- tools and equipping them with the psychosocial and
entrepreneurial skills to thrive in the creative industries.

Through our schools, like the Bridges Academy in Langa, we provide safe spaces and holistic learning programs to
enhance the creative potential of young people at-risk and facilitating their access to income generating opportunities.
Employing a methodology rooted in “Self Determination Theory”, we develop resilient, self-aware, and self-efficacious
agents of change who are able to transcend the cycles of poverty and trauma that circumscribe them and their
communities.
More: bridgesformusic.org

ABOUT XAVIER DE KASTELIER

Xavier De Kestelier is Head of Design Technology and Innovation at Hassell. Notable projects include the Apple
Campus and leading Hassell’s team for NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge for deep space exploration.

Xavier currently leads an experimental shelter program at to.org, where a team of engineers, designers, and fabricators are
working on a 3D printed adaptable structure. Xavier brings his experience and mindset to this program; he is concerned
as much about the present as the future and has selected young talent from Hassell to work on the Bidi Bidi
Performing Arts Centre.

ABOUT TATEO NAKAJIMA

Tateo Nakajima, Principal at ARUP, trained as a classical violinist and conductor before expanding his studies and
expertise to include the architectural and acoustic design of concert halls and performing arts spaces. Tateo brings
his personal expertise and the institutional knowledge and experience of his team to the Bidi Bidi Performing Arts
Centre.

ABOUT PLAYING FOR CHANGE

Playing for Change Foundation (PFCF), founded in 2007, is an international non-profit dedicated to creating positive
change through music and arts education. PFCF now operates 15 music programs across 11 countries, using music
as a tool for education and social change, in some of the most diverse and culturally wealthy communities around the
world.

The programs offered by PFCF create positive change through music and the arts, providing opportunities for
individual and community development, cultural preservation, social cohesion, and the promotion of social identities
regardless of ethnicity, caste, class, and economic status.

HASSELL

Bidi Bidi Pavilion Uganda building design award news images / information received 110626 from Hassell Architects

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26 May 2026

Previously on e-architect:

6 June 2023
Bidi Bidi Refugee Music & Arts Centre, northern Uganda, Africa
Design: Hassell with LocalWorks

image courtesy of architects office
Bidi Bidi Pavilion at London Design Biennale