Â鶹´«Ã½

(Image: Nlé)

In Makoko, Nigeria, a water world of homes above the sea is no futuristic fantasy. For generations, people have lived in this sprawling slum on stilts above the lagoon that surrounds the country’s largest city, Lagos.

This floating school aims to bring much-needed education to the children of Makoko. At the same time, its architects say it is an exploration of how African cities can cope with the breakneck pace of urbanisation, and the flooding and sea level rise brought on by climate change.

The school was built by local builders out of reclaimed materials from the area: it uses the empty plastic barrels abundant in Lagos as floats, for example. Its three levels include an open play space on the bottom, an enclosed classroom area in the middle and workshop space on the top. The school and can accommodate up to 100 students.

It was designed by . It has been nominated in the architecture category of the : the winners will be announced in June.