Omar Degan

Omar Degan (born June 1990) is an Italian-born Somali architect, curator and academic whose work focuses on post-conflict reconstruction, urban resilience and architecture in fragile contexts. He is the founder and inaugural curator of the Pan-African Biennale (PAB), a continent-wide platform dedicated to architecture and spatial practices across Africa, and the principal and founder of DO Architecture Group, an international practice working in crisis-affected environments.

Degan is known for his work across Africa, particularly in the Horn of Africa, where he specialises in projects for marginalised communities and explores how cultural identity, place-making and climate-responsive design shape social and spatial recovery. His projects and essays on architecture in Somalia and African cities have been published in international media including The New York Times, Reuters, Wallpaper*, Azure and ArchDaily.

Early life and education Degan was born in Italy to Somali and Italian parents in June 1990.

He studied architecture at the Politecnico di Torino, later completing a master's degree in Architecture for Sustainability between Turin and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, followed by postgraduate studies in emergency architecture and developing countries. The firm specialises in architecture for fragile and crisis-affected contexts, with work ranging from small-scale community buildings and schools to memorials, cultural venues and housing.

His projects in Somalia include schools, neighbourhood centres and hospitality spaces that draw on local materials and traditional building forms. The Salsabiil multifunctional building and later restaurant projects in Mogadishu have been described as architectural celebrations of Somali cultural identity.

Memorial projects In 2017, Degan gained international attention for his proposal for a memorial to the victims of the 14 October 2017 Mogadishu bombings. The memorial design was conceived not only as a site of remembrance but also as a civic space for gathering and reflection.

Writing and publications In 2020 Degan self-published Mogadishu Through the Eyes of an Architect, a photographic and critical survey of the city’s architecture and urban transformations. The book documents historical buildings, contemporary construction and everyday spatial practices in Mogadishu.

He has also contributed essays and opinion pieces on African architecture, heritage and urban resilience to platforms such as Azure Magazine and Geeska Africa.

The Biennale’s theme, “From Fragility to Resilience”, positions African cities often described as fragile as sites of knowledge for global debates on climate change, displacement and social justice.

Academic and leadership roles Degan has held academic positions in architecture and design, including as Assistant Professor of Architecture at Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD), Ferris State University, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also thought architecture at Auburn University in Auburn Alabama.

In 2022 he was selected as a Leaders Africa fellow by the Obama Foundation, which recognised his work on architecture, sustainability and resilience in fragile contexts. The Pan-African Biennale describes him as “an internationally recognised architect, curator and global expert on architecture in fragile contexts”.

Degan has delivered lectures and keynotes internationally, and in 2018 he presented a TEDx talk titled “Architecture, Identity and Reconstructing Somalia”, in which he discussed the role of culture and tradition in post-conflict rebuilding.

Selected works Memorial proposal for the 14 October 2017 Mogadishu bombings, Mogadishu, Somalia (2017) Salsabiil multifunctional building and restaurant, Mogadishu (c. 2020) Portable rural clinic prototype, Somalia (2021) Mogadishu Through the Eyes of an Architect (book, 2020) Founder and inaugural curator, Pan-African Biennale, Nairobi 2026