Palaise de Lome Togo

Togo has opened its first major contemporary art and culture centre. Palaise de Lomé, housed in a restored colonial-era palace, is the only contemporary art centre in Africa to be fully financed by the state.

This is not just a restored building, it’s an art centre of international standing that will bear witness to the diversity of national and pan-African cultural production Set on the seafront in the Togolese capital of Lomé the Palais de Lomé boasts several exhibition spaces, as well as an 11-hectare botanical park with ancient trees, medicinal plants, a beehive and more than 40 species of birds. Lomé is the only capital in coastal West Africa to have a public park on the seafront.

The Palais de Lomé was built over seven years, from 1898 to 1905 during German colonisation.

The building first served as the German, then French governors’ residence until the independence of Togo on 27 April 1960.

It then became the seat of the Togolese Presidency until 1970, then from 1976 to 1991; it became a residence for the guests of the Republic of Togo.

In September 1991, it served as the residence of the Prime Minister.

Following a period of social and political unrest in the ’90s, the building deteriorated significantly and then was left in ruins after two decades of abandonment.

The current renovation of the Palais de Lomé and its opening to the public is part of the programme of rehabilitation of historical heritage led by the Government.

Accompanied by our bilingual (English-French) cultural mediators, the visits provide an immersive experience that spans history and modernity and art and biodiversity. Strolls are punctuated with activities and games, to discover the exhibitions, the architecture and history of the palace, or the biodiversity of the Park.

Visits take place from Tuesday to Sunday; from 10 am to 5 pm. Group visits are by reservation only. Please contact us at least 14 days in advance to book your visit.