Picture: A mosque made from repurposed shelter units fills an open community space (Photo by Maren Larsen, May 2026).
1. December 2026, 17:30–19:30 | HIT H 13, Hönggerberg, ETH Zürich.
The “IKEA shelter” has become a well-known and contentious solution for managing the world’s refugees. This talk traces its curious arrival as part of a climate-induced, state-led relocation project in urban Senegal. Different uses of shelter materials illustrate how Senegalese citizens restore the political problems
of urban relocation that the structures seek to evacuate by giving form to desired interventions and illuminating novel challenges of displacement, resettlement, and urbanization.
Lecturer: Dr. Maren Larsen, Department of Geography, University of Zürich
Organisation
ETH Wohnforum – ETH CASE
Contact: Hannah Widmer