Narrative Architecture and Collective Memory: A Conceptual Framework for the Yaoundé Urban History Museum


Authors : Effa Yves Mathieu Loïc; Dr. Bwemba Charles; Ndongo Jean-Paul

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 11 - November


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/mrz7aeh7

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/4dz4kmuk

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25nov263

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : The city of Yaoundé embodies a dialogue between memory, modernity, and cultural diversity. Yet rapid urbanization and real estate speculation threaten its architectural heritage and collective memory. This paper explores how narrative architecture can mediate and revive the city’s memory through the design of the Yaoundé Urban History Museum on the Municipal Lake. A mixed-methods approach combining field observations, surveys, and documentary research identifies public expectations for heritage interpretation and proposes a spatial narrative that integrates symbolic, educational, and sustainable dimensions. The resulting design offers an immersive experience in which architecture itself narrates Yaoundé’s evolution—from precolonial origins to contemporary identity. The museum functions as both an educational space and a civic landmark, positioning architectural form as a medium for collective memory and citizenship.

Keywords : Collective Memory; Urban Narrative; Museum Architecture; Cultural Heritage; Yaoundé.

References :

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The city of Yaoundé embodies a dialogue between memory, modernity, and cultural diversity. Yet rapid urbanization and real estate speculation threaten its architectural heritage and collective memory. This paper explores how narrative architecture can mediate and revive the city’s memory through the design of the Yaoundé Urban History Museum on the Municipal Lake. A mixed-methods approach combining field observations, surveys, and documentary research identifies public expectations for heritage interpretation and proposes a spatial narrative that integrates symbolic, educational, and sustainable dimensions. The resulting design offers an immersive experience in which architecture itself narrates Yaoundé’s evolution—from precolonial origins to contemporary identity. The museum functions as both an educational space and a civic landmark, positioning architectural form as a medium for collective memory and citizenship.

Keywords : Collective Memory; Urban Narrative; Museum Architecture; Cultural Heritage; Yaoundé.

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Paper Submission Last Date
31 - January - 2026

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