PROPOSED EDO HERITAGE CENTRE, BENIN: EMPHASIS ON CIRCULATION AS A MEDIUM FOR STORYTELLING

In architectural design, circulation is often regarded as a purely functional requirement for the efficient movement of people and resources. However, circulation also holds the potential to operate as a narrative and symbolic device, capable of expressing cultural identity and collective memory. This research investigates how circulation can be strategically employed as a sequential storytelling tool to communicate the history, traditions, and identity of the Edo people in the proposed design of the Edo Heritage Centre, Benin City, by framing circulation as a narrative pathway, the study emphasizes how carefully choreographed movement patterns can guide visitors through a chronological experience of Edo heritage, enabling architecture to serve as both a cultural archive and a medium of education. A mixed-methods research approach was adopted, combining qualitative and quantitative strategies where interviews were conducted with historians, cultural custodians, architects, and community representatives, and an observation checklist was applied to selected case studies of heritage centres and museums within and outside Nigeria. Data from the interviews were thematically analyzed to extract cultural motifs and spatial preferences that reflect Edo traditions. Observations from case studies were examined through checklists and percentage comparisons, revealing circulation strategies that successfully contribute to storytelling and visitor engagement. Findings exposed that structured movement paths, symbolic spatial transitions, and culturally rooted design arrangements can transform circulation into an immersive narrative medium through sequencing spaces in alignment with history and cultural practices, circulation is used to provide a spatial storyline that allows visitors to journey through Edo history in an engaging manner. This design strategy may not only enrich visitor experience but also reinforce collective memory, cultural pride, and heritage preservation. The study concludes that integrating historical narratives into circulation design creates not just a functional pathway but establishes a living cultural journey that strengthens identity and preserves heritage, such an approach positions circulation as a vital tool for designing spaces that educate, inspire, and foster deeper connections between people and their cultural history. Keywords: Architecture, Circulation, Edo Heritage, Storytelling