The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ilé-Ifẹ̀, Nigeria, is a significant modern architectural landmark with a unique history. Established in 1960 as the University of Ife, it holds cultural and historical importance, symbolizing Nigeria’s independence and international collaboration with Israel. Designed by Bauhaus graduate Arieh Sharon, the campus is his largest project outside Germany and Israel, showcasing machine-age aesthetics, unity of arts and crafts, and adaptation to the local climate.

The university’s conception marked a turning point in West African education, emphasizing technical and scientific disciplines. The collaboration between Israel and Nigeria, leading to Arieh Sharon’s involvement, resulted in a campus design that reflects tropical architecture principles. Despite being recognized as a prominent example of modern architecture during the centennial celebrations of Bauhaus in 2019, the campus faces conservation challenges due to expanding use and minimal awareness of its inherent values.

To address this, the Conservation Management Plan (CMP) was initiated as one of the Getty Keeping-It-Modern 2020 projects. The CMP aims to safeguard the campus’s modern heritage, considering factors like machine-age aesthetics, unity of arts and crafts, and context-related design principles. The project involves comprehensive digital measurements, restorative examinations, conservation engineering surveys, and landscape assessments.

The significance of the OAU campus lies in its authenticity, integrity, and representation of modernist campus architecture. It is deemed an unequaled example of Arieh Sharon’s work and part of the international Bauhaus heritage. The CMP recommends conservation policies based on heritage significance levels, emphasizing the preservation of original designs, passive climate control concepts, facades, roofs, utilization concepts, and intact interiors.

Babatunde Jaiyeoba, Bayo Amole of the Department of Architecture, Obafemi Awolowo University discusses the cultural and architectural treasure of the Obafemi Awolowo University campus in Ilé-Ifẹ̀ as well as its global importance. Their manuscript titled: Reviving The Modern Architecture Of Arieh Sharon’s Obafemi Awolowo University, Ilé-Ifẹ̀, Nigeria (https://docomomojournal.com/index.php/journal/issue/view/44/50) provides captivating reflections of the campus. The ongoing Conservation Management Project strives to ensure the preservation of its heritage value for future generations, recognizing its role in the history of architecture and education in Africa.