John Owusu Addo

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John Owusu Addo
Born1928 (age 95–96)
Akwadum, Eastern Region, Ghana
NationalityGhanaian
OccupationArchitect
StyleTropical Modernism

John Owusu Addo (born 1928) is a Ghanaian architect.

Personal life[edit]

John Owusu Addo was born in Akwadum, Eastern region as the second child of his mother and a son of his late father on May 30, 1928. He is a seed of the royal Apempoa family. His family moved from the Ashanti Region following a disagreement with the Ashanti King in 1875. They later settled in a farming village in the Eastern region of Ghana, Akwadum.[1]

Education[edit]

Addo had his basic education at Akwadum Methodist School. He relocated to the capital of Eastern region after the death of his father to live with his sister and her husband. Following his completion of Standard 7 with distinction, he gained admission into Kumasi Wesley College Teacher Training College from 1944 to 1947.[1] He continued to study arts after his four-year education at the teacher training college. Having passed the entrance exams, he enrolled in Achimota Specialist Training College to study arts until 1950.[2] His interest in Architecture grew while at the Achimota Specialist Training College.[1]

Career[edit]

Addo sat for the London Matriculation Exams in 1951 which he passed. He was posted as a teacher to his premier station at College of Education, Bechem, then St Joseph's Training College.[3] He was moved to Kumasi College of Science and Technology (now Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology – KNUST) after a year in Bechem. There, his interest in architecture heightened after his encounter with some construction projects. He designed the Community Center and the Unity Hall of Residence and Senior Staff Club House on the KNUST campus,[4] He is well known for his use of the style Tropical Modernism. Addo co-founded the Ghana Institute of Architecture and received the Order of the Volta in 2005. [5] In 2017 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and was named one of the most influential people of the year by Time Magazine. [6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "John Owusu Addo". www.design233.com. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  2. ^ Editorial, A. P. (2018-08-31). "PROFILE ALERT | Prof. Arc. John Owusu Addo". ArchPose. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  3. ^ "Meet Prof John Owusu Addo, the Architect who designed KNUST Unity hall". 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  4. ^ Kwabi, Prince Charles (2023-12-15). "Tropical Modern Architect: Prof. John Owusu Addo". Docomomo Journal (69): 29–34. doi:10.52200/docomomo.69.03. ISSN 2773-1634.
  5. ^ "Celebrating Professor Arc. John Owusu Addo's Enduring Legacy - Africans Column". 13 March 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  6. ^ Setrana, Richmond (10 June 2022). "Old but Gold: 94 year old architect designed Unity Hall, other famous buildings". Yen.com.gh - Ghana news. Retrieved 29 April 2024.