Jean-Charles Tall

 

Jean-Charles Tall
Jean-Charles Tall (Dakar, Senegal) started the Architecture College together with a group of architects in 1990 when the Senegalese government closed the only official architectural school in the country. More then 90 students are studying 2 till 3 years at the school and get a certificate which is validated by the Senegalese Ministry of Education. After 3 years they are official "technical engineers". If they want to become an architect they have to study an additional 4 years.

The school is a private school and is not receiving any financial support by the Senegalese government and was initially financed by the architects who erected the school. The Architecture College is also offering education to students form outside Senegal (Comoros, DR Congo, Mauritania etc.). The Architecture College wants to be a space for reflexion and feed the cultural climate in Senegal. This is why the school not only focusses on architecture but also on cultural heritage, urbanism and environment. For Jean-Charles Tall it's very important that students get confronted with both theory and reality. Last year he let students visit shanty areas in Dakar to confront them with everyday realities.