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HILL STATION:
Architecture and the altitudes of Empire





Hill Station: architecture and the altitudes of Empire explores the architectural history of colonial-era health segregation in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and its entanglements with the expansion of the British Empire and the emergence of tropical medicine.

In 1899, the newly established Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine sent an expedition to Freetown to investigate malaria prevention. Among its recommendations was the construction of an exclusive enclave of “houses for Europeans” on a plateau overlooking the city.

Combining architectural model work and film, this new installation explores architecture, colonialism, and health segregation, and the complex links between the two port cities, Liverpool and Freetown.

Hill Station: architecture and the altitudes of Empire is supported by: Arts Council Ireland, Graham Foundation, University College London, University of Edinburgh/Edinburgh College of Art. 

RIBA North and Tate Liverpool, Gallery 2
4 September - 16 November 2025


CREDITS Project by Killian O’Dochartaigh and Edward Lawrenson 

Curatorial support and exhibition coordination by RIBA

Film directed by Edward Lawrenson, produced by Edward Lawrenson and Killian O’Dochartaigh, featuring Ibrahim Abdullah.

Sound design by Philippe Ciompi

Model designed by Killian O’Dochartaigh 

Fabrication by Killian O’Dochartaigh and Richard Collins.

LINKSRIBA-Tate  

Press Release  

Review by Ella Adu (NAW)

Film and models©The Royal Institute of British Architects/Pete Carr Detail of Colonial Bungalow©The Royal Institute of British Architects/Pete Carr Detail of Downtown Freetown with Mosquito breeding locations©The Royal Institute of British Architects/Pete Carr Still from film with scale replica of Colonial Bungalow Overview of exhibition©The Royal Institute of British Architects/Pete Carr