A new cultural institution opens its doors in the Labone district of Accra, the capital of Ghana: the Limbo Museum. Its official inauguration, with a three-day event from November 8 to 10, 2024, marks the birth of a space for reflection and experimentation in architecture and the arts, housed within an unfinished building that is now brought back to life.
Limbo Museum emerges from the transformation of an unfinished concrete structure (600 m² spread over two floors) into an exhibition space dedicated to the free expression of creativity. With the ambition to become an international reference point, Limbo Museum offers a space where artists, architects, and curators can explore and bring new life to urban ruins.
The museum was founded by Dominique Petit-Frère and Emil Grip of the Limbo Accra studio, alongside Limbo Museum’s Founding Curatorial Director, Diallo Simon-Ponte, and Lennart Wolff, program director of Limbo Museum’s Architecture Lab and the AA Visiting School.
The idea behind the project is to view ruins not as symbols of decay or failure but as living spaces, ready for a second life. The museum’s mission is based on the belief that unfinished spaces can represent the future of architecture and art, serving as platforms for global dialogue and experimentation.
The new space aims to stimulate a creative and social dialogue, bringing an innovative approach to using abandoned and incomplete spaces in the African context.
The goal is to create a museum that is not just a place to collect objects but a space for ideas and dialogue—a blank space to be filled with experimentation and encounters. With this vision, Dominique Petit-Frère and his partners hope to establish a cultural center that inspires new generations of artists.
One of the pillars of the Limbo Museum is the Limbo Architecture Lab, set to launch in March 2025 in collaboration with the prestigious AA Visiting School in London and KNUST (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology) in Ghana, supported by sponsor Schüco, a global leader in window and façade systems. The Lab will offer an annual research and training program, aiming to explore new forms of spatial design rooted in architectural ruins.
The Limbo Museum also hosts the Liminal Archive, a digital initiative supported by the Henrik F. Obel Foundation, aimed at developing the first digital archive in Africa. In collaboration with a team of creative technologists, researchers, and photographers, contemporary and modernist ruins, along with abandoned construction sites, will be cataloged to preserve this heritage for future generations.
The Limbo Museum’s inauguration will include a three-day summit featuring internationally renowned figures in the fields of art and architecture, including Ibrahim Mahama, Nana Biamah-Ofosu, Tosin Oshinowo, and Sofia Pia Belenky. The panels will be led by the founders and key figures of the museum, including Lennart Wolff, program director of the Limbo Museum’s Architecture Lab, and curatorial director Diallo Simon-Ponte. At the same time, Limbo Museum will offer public guided tours to explore the structure and appreciate the beauty of the ruins.
Cover Image: Dominique Petit-Frère and Emil Grip. © Caroline Tompkins
All images courtesy of Limbo Accra