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

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.