DiscoverYoruba.com is your one-stop for embracing Yoruba culture, entertainment, and history unfolding.
Yoruba architecture is not just about making buildings – it’s a way for the Yoruba people to share their history, values, and beliefs. The Yoruba people live mostly in Nigeria, in West Africa, and this unique building style goes back many centuries, even as far as the 8th century! Over time, Yoruba building styles have shown amazing strength and flexibility, adapting to changes while still holding onto important traditions, even through the colonial period in the 1800s.
The interior of a building in Ode Ondo, capital of the Ondo Kingdom
Core Features of Traditional Yoruba Architecture
Structural Design
The family compound, called agbo ile and headed by the Baale (the head of the family), is one of the most important parts of traditional Yoruba buildings. This open courtyard is a place where family members gather to talk, eat, and carry out daily activities. Around the courtyard are simple rectangular rooms for living, cooking, and sleeping.
Yoruba Architecture
This layout brings families together, allowing them to spend time in each other’s company throughout the day. Larger compounds, especially those belonging to kings (Oba) or chiefs, often have multiple courtyards to welcome more people and create a lively setting for family and community life.
Many family compounds today keep the traditional agbo ile layout but add a few modern touches, like updated seating, better lighting, or even a sleek, minimalist look. Some architects are even designing modern-day buildings in the agbo ile style, with open courtyards and rooms around them to keep that sense of family closeness alive.
One thing many people remember fondly is the ìkòkò omi—a clay pot that kept water cool all day, almost like a natural fridge. Every home had one back in the day, and it always had its own special spot in the house, ready to give anyone a refreshing drink of cool water.
Some families still keep a clay pot in their home as a way to honor this old tradition. It’s a small reminder of the simple joys and the togetherness that agbo ile stands for.
Building Materials
Yoruba homes are built using natural, locally found materials. Mud and clay form the main structure, strengthened by mixing in straw. This method, called wattle and daub, is eco-friendly and provides good insulation, keeping homes cool in hot climates.
Earth Block
Roofs are typically made from palm fronds or other local plants. They offer protection from rain and sun while allowing natural airflow through the rooms. Although some modern homes use metal roofs, many Yoruba people still prefer traditional materials, which keep the house closely connected to the environment and show respect for nature.
Ornamentation and Artistry
In Yoruba architecture, decorations tell stories that express cultural values and beliefs. The Yoruba people carve beautiful designs into wooden posts, doors, and walls, featuring animals, mythological figures, and unique symbols. Each carving holds a specific message or story.
Yoruba Door Panels
For instance, animal carvings represent qualities like wisdom or bravery. Other designs share tales from Yoruba legends, display spiritual beliefs, or highlight connections to Yoruba spirituality.
Functional Features
The Yoruba people are mindful of the environment and living sustainably. Yoruba homes often include practical features like rainwater collection systems built into the courtyard, where roof water flows into storage areas for household use. The materials used for walls and roofs also help cool the interior, which is essential in a hot climate.
Spiritual Significance
In Yoruba culture, having a space for worship has always been an important part of home life. In the past, Yoruba families often set aside areas in their homes for prayer and worship, keeping faith at the center of family and community. These special spaces showed how much people valued harmony and connection within their homes.
Today, even though religious practices have changed, Yoruba homes still show a deep respect for faith. Many families are now Muslim or Christian, so instead of traditional shrines, you’ll often find a small mosque or chapel within the family compound or in the neighborhood. These spaces still make the home a place for worship, prayer, and bringing people together. For example, in my own home, my father built a masjid (mosque) right beside our house. It’s where we and other Muslim community members come together to pray.
Pre-Colonial Yoruba Architecture
In pre-colonial times, Yoruba communities were organised in unique, ring-like clusters. Families lived in square homes arranged around open courtyards, creating a warm and interactive environment. At the centre of each town was the palace of the oba, or king, with an open market nearby where people gathered to trade and socialise. The oba’s palace was the grandest building, with the largest compound and multiple courtyards to show his high status. Next in line were the compounds of ward or lineage chiefs, also quite spacious, followed by the homes of family elders, arranged by importance within the community.
Yoruba buildings were often laid out in a square or circular shape, forming a compound around a central courtyard. These courtyards were much bigger than the indoor rooms, encouraging family members to come together, cook, chat, and work on crafts. Inside, rooms were smaller, darker, and mainly used for sleeping and privacy, offering a cool contrast to the bright, open courtyards.
For the walls, they used sturdy mud bricks made from laterite soils, which kept the homes solid and cool in the hot weather. Roofing materials varied based on location – coastal areas used raffia palm leaves, while northern regions used wood, as palm fronds were less available there. Interestingly, Yoruba houses traditionally didn’t have windows, helping keep the indoor spaces shaded and cool.
The palaces and homes of chiefs featured extended courtyards and beautiful carvings of animals and symbols. These decorations often doubled as shrines where people honoured the Orishas, the Yoruba deities, creating a strong spiritual link right within their homes. Gardens were also a big part of Yoruba architecture. In royal compounds, like the palace of the Olowo, there were different kinds of gardens – farm, sacred, kitchen, and herb gardens, each with a unique purpose. To make the most of natural resources, Yoruba compounds also used impluviums, special systems for collecting rainwater. This smart design helped the community live sustainably and stay connected to the natural environment.
The Yoruba Revival and Neo-Yoruba Architecture
In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in Yoruba architectural styles, both in West Africa and in the Americas. This revival, known as Neo-Yoruba architecture, can be seen in buildings like the Oduduwa Temple in São Paulo, Brazil. The temple has Yoruba-style murals and design elements that reflect traditional Yoruba art, showing how these styles have travelled and evolved.
When the British took control of Lagos, the town began to grow into a city with a diverse population. Alongside the residents of Lagos Island (Isale Eko), there were Yoruba returnees from Brazil, Trinidad, and Cuba. These returnees, who had crossed the Atlantic twice, brought new architectural styles and skills back with them. Many of them had trained in masonry while abroad and introduced Brazilian-inspired stucco bungalows, multi-storey buildings with arched windows, and open verandahs to Lagos.
This Afro-Brazilian style became popular in areas like Olowogbowo, Popo Aguda, Ebute Metta, and Yaba. The returnees trained local apprentices, spreading a modified version of this style across the region. Houses often had open spaces for ventilation between the tops of walls and roofs and verandahs at the front and back. Two-storey houses, called sobrados, were also common. These homes had central spaces for alcoves, chapels, and staircases, with passageways connecting different parts of the house.
Lagos soon had its own brick and tile factory, making building sturdy, multi-storey homes affordable. These stately homes, built by Yoruba returnees, became iconic in Lagos, with brick columns, plastered walls, and decorative designs on plinths, columns, and bases. Some famous examples include the residence of Andrew Thomas, a beautiful two-storey Brazilian-style house with ornate plasterwork; Joaquim Devonde Branco’s brick house with wrought-iron windows; and the Caxton House on Marina, which featured a two-storey main building, two showrooms on each side, stables, and a garden.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the main features of traditional Yoruba architecture?
Traditional Yoruba architecture is known for its unique design with central courtyards, rectangular rooms, and natural building materials like mud and straw. These features bring families together and reflect Yoruba values and traditions.
How does Yoruba architecture reflect cultural values?
Every part of Yoruba architecture, from the layout to the decorations, symbolises the community’s identity. Courtyards and carvings show the importance of family and spirituality, showing how the Yoruba people see the world and their place in it.
What types of buildings are common in Yoruba architecture?
Yoruba architecture includes family compounds, royal palaces, and shrines. Each type has a unique design suited to its role in society. Palaces, for example, are grand and reflect the status of leaders, while shrines serve spiritual purposes.
How has Yoruba architecture changed over time?
Yoruba architecture has changed, especially during the colonial period when Brazilian influences were introduced. Today, modern Yoruba architecture blends traditional designs with newer ideas to meet contemporary needs.
What role does art play in Yoruba architecture?
Art is essential in Yoruba architecture. Carvings and decorations on buildings share stories and celebrate Yoruba history and values. This artwork makes buildings beautiful and helps preserve cultural heritage for future generations.
References
AGBO ILE IN YORUBA HISTORY &… – Yoruba Intelligence Network | Facebook
(PDF) Tradition and Modernism in Yoruba Architecture: Bridging the Chasm
file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/CharacterExtinctionJETERAPSvol8issue3June2017pp143.pdf
file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/577577176-Yoruba-architecture.pdf
