Spirits Out Of Trees - Francois Kéré, Gando / Montana

Spirits Out of Trees is an architecture and photography book exploring two landmark buildings by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Francis Kéré: the Xylem pavilion at Tippet Rise Art Center in Montana, USA, and the Naaba Belem Goumma Secondary School in Kéré's hometown of Gando, Burkina Faso.

Though separated by continents, climate, and culture, both structures share a single guiding idea — architecture as a place of gathering, learning, and care. Xylem draws on the symbolic and structural power of trees to create a shaded space for rest and reflection. The Gando school uses locally sourced clay and timber to form a living, breathing environment built for and with its community.

Blending architectural documentation, striking photography, personal essays, and poetry, this book traces how trees — literally and metaphorically — shape Kéré's design philosophy. It's a meditation on shelter, regeneration, and the enduring bond between architecture and nature.