The winner of an open international contest to adapt and reimagine the disused Ijora Power Station in Lagos has been revealed The competition – organised by Team NowNow in partnership with the Art/Space Negotiation project of the Goethe-Institut – sought proposals to transform the abandoned former power plant into a new inclusive and accessible cultural hub for Nigeria’s largest city. The overall winner was ‘Power Pass Power’ by Toronto-based architectural designer Temitope Akinsiku with the art and technological designer Victor Igene and graphic designer Emmanuel Etim. Power Pass Power is described by its authors as an architectural ‘dance’ staged within the historic Ijora Power Station. The proposal restores the existing complex and reconfigures its interior to deliver new areas for ‘exhibitions, experiences, education, and empowerment.’ According to a statement by the authors: ‘This dance blends the building’s spatial character with the city’s vibrant energy and resilient creative spirit to give the old station a new life as a cultural powerhouse for Nigeria’s creative industry.’ Second place went to ‘Ijora Legacy Centre A Cultural Dialogue’ by Fundokuhle Kubheka and third place was awarded to ‘Ijora Arts District’ by Raymond Oloo of Johannesburg with Justus Lohrke and Florentine Seidler of Berlin. Honourable mentions were also awarded to proposals by teams featuring Folasope Pinheiro, Akanji Opeyemi, Wilko Le Roux, Quintin Bezuidenhout, Chineze Obinna, Fikile Nyezi, Faith Ogundare and Rector Mathebula. The call for concepts aims to identify a range of innovative solutions to adapt and repurpose the landmark waterfront building into a flagship new arts centre and public space intended to promote community and shared cultural expression. Lagos is the largest city in Nigeria with an estimated population of around 21 million people. The latest competition focuses on the adaptive reuse of the Ijora Power Station which first opened in 1923 and served as the main power plant for the city during the colonial period. The contest invited architects, urbanists, engineers, artists, makers and anyone with a passion for the future of urban environments to draw up concepts for the conversion of the 82,749m² site into a new creative hub which celebrates the city’s rich cultural diversity. Proposals were free to include a mix of uses including theatres, cinemas, radio stations, recording studios, film and fashion studios, ateliers and classrooms. Concepts were required to respond to nearby cultural landmarks including the National Arts Theatre and Freedom Park. The overall winner will receive a US$1,500 top prize. A second prize of US$600 and third prize of US$200 will also be awarded. The winner Winner: Power Pass Power by Temitope Akinsiku with Victor Igene and Emmanuel Etim Power Pass Power is an architectural ‘dance’ staged at the historic Ijora Power Station in Lagos. This dance blends the building’s spatial character with the city’s vibrant energy and resilient creative spirit to give the old station a new life as a cultural powerhouse for Nigeria’s creative industry. This proposal restores the existing building and remodels its interior to create spaces for exhibitions, experiences, education, and empowerment. An extension increases the building’s capacity, and external facilities like soundstages are developed in phases to support art and film production. Lagos’ informal sector inspires our reimagination of the power station. This sector’s spatial morphology embodies flexibility, modularity, agency, and symbiosis, and offers unorthodox social spaces like newspaper stands. Besides being art in itself, this sector features spaces like roadside galleries and film shops that bring art and cinema to the public realm. Our design mirrors this language by creating adaptable spaces and communal areas that facilitate collective artistic development. The proposed extension also draws on the informal sector’s agency by extending over the station’s lower volume on the southern axis. Here, the phrase ‘Power Pass Power’ does not reflect a struggle between energy forms. Rather, it acknowledges the city’s abundant creativity as a vital form of power. This power restores the station, revitalizes the neighbourhood, boosts economic development, creates jobs, and fosters a vibrant creative community.