Accra: updates January 2026

A few brief updates on Accra:

I revisited the PWD Junior Staff quarters in Osu. See https://transnationalarchitecture.group/2019/02/08/housing-in-accra-junior-staff-quarters-from-1961/ for a brief history of the estate. According to Michael Hirst who worked on Tema‘s Community 1 housing in the late 1950s, the Osu estate took it’s inspiration from their work. The houses are holding up well – it’s the landscaping that needs urgent attention.

The two major projects under construction in the city that we reported on in 2022 – Cathedral and Marine Drive have both stalled, and both projects are now under-review and reassessment – leaving behind faded hoardings and large vacant sites. At least the Community Centre and Ghana Club have some reprieve.

I also visited the Rex Cinema and Opera Cinema – both still looking excellent with their small scale intriguing entrance portals hiding their vast open-air screening areas.