A Kenyan student in the UK has won a $50,000 (Ksh. 6.9 million) grant to establish a music studio and nightclub in Nairobi using repurposed shipping containers.
Jesse Mugambi, who is pursuing a master’s degree in sustainable design at Brighton University, has won an international award that supports nightlife initiatives.
Jesse beat 300 contestants from 50 nations to be declared joint champion of Jagermeister’s ‘Save The Night’ competition.
He will share the $109,000 (Ksh. 15 million) prize fund with a fellow winner from Northern Ireland, who will receive $50,000 (Ksh. 6.9 million).
Jesse’s project, Studio Can-V, which he began as an undergraduate and is now pursuing as a master’s degree at the University of Brighton, will create an adaptable venue that transitions from a studio for young DJs to a night club.
Local artisans in Nairobi, Kenya, where Jesse is from, will build the mobile recording studio out of reused shipping containers.
The containers will come from Mombasa port, and the building will be constructed with renewable materials such as steel tubes for structural support.
These, along with aluminum panels for the doors, will be supplied by Nairobi-based vendors.
Studio Can-V is envisioned as an adaptable facility that can transform from a daytime hub for young DJs to a vibrant nightclub, fostering a sense of community and creativity among Nairobi’s youth.
Mugambi intends to develop a sense of pride and cultural identity through the use of decommissioned shipping containers and local designs, as well as to emphasize the importance of sustainability and environmental consciousness in architectural design.
Mugambi, a budding DJ himself, stated: “Having faced challenges in pursuing my own passion for music when I was younger, I’m motivated by the belief that there are countless young and old people longing for opportunities to scratch their musical itch.”
“I aspire to create environments where students may fully express their creativity and pursue their musical aspirations without constraints.
“My goal is to use this project to highlight modern Kenyan identities and encourage inclusivity by featuring the voices of young DJs from all communities and backgrounds who reflect the future of an equitable society.
“It will help build relationships across the industry and create new gateways for those yet to break into the sector.”
Mugambi also stated that he will be working with Brighton lecturers to ensure the plan’s viability.
“We are collaborating with lecturers at the University of Brighton to ensure that our plans are developed sustainably, both socially and architecturally,” he went on to say.
According to Kai Dechsling, Jagermeister’s director of global culture and experiential marketing, an inclusive, varied, and safe nightlife creates unique opportunities for self-expression around the world.
“It fosters freedom and creates sanctuaries. The two programs in Kenya and Northern Ireland address critical sociopolitical concerns and actively help to creating nightlife in a constructive way.