Have you ever pictured yourself walking into a house where everything is turned on its head? I mean where the floor becomes the ceiling and the ceiling is now the floor. This surreal experience became my reality when I visited the first upside down house in West Africa, nestled in the vibrant heart of Lagos. I had initially expected it to be a quirky attraction but it transformed into a mind blowing journey that completely reshaped my perception of the world. Join me as I step inside the first upside down house in West Africa, right here in Lagos, where reality gets flipped on its head.
The sun hung low in the Lagos sky, casting a golden glow over the bustling city as I made my way through the busy streets, the buzz of the city gradually receded into the distance. I have heard of this place before, whispered about in conversations and splashed across social media but nothing could prepare me for the strange and captivating sight that awaited.
There it was, the first upside down house in West Africa, a striking architectural marvel that seemed to defy the very laws of gravity. From the outside, it looked like a typical home yet the entire structure was inverted. The roof, windows and even furniture were all positioned as if the world had turned upside down. It was as if someone had taken the ordinary and made it extraordinary with a twist of surrealism.
I walked into the house where gravity seemed to have lost its grip with my curiosity piquing with every step. Believe me, this house is one of the most beautiful things that has happened in the West Africa, it is a first of its kind. The floor or rather, the ceiling above me was covered in what looked like an ordinary living room, complete with a sofa, lamps, and a bookshelf. The furniture seemed to float above and I had to look up to see what would traditionally be below. Honestly, my mind struggled to make sense of it as I tried to grasp how everything seemed just slightly off. The only thing that kept echoing in my head was, “how on earth is this possible?”
At first glance, this house makes no sense after stepping into it and another startling revelation was the fact that we entered through the window. Upside down houses have become a global architectural phenomenon, offering a playful and surreal experience where traditional design is flipped on its head. These houses, where floors become ceilings and vice versa, challenge our perception of space and reality.
The upside down is not the first in the world as there are many others like Germany, which is the first widely recognized upside down house located in Trassenheide, it became a major tourist attraction in 2008. We have many others in; Poland, USA, China, South Korea, Canada.
These houses serve as fun attractions, art installations and statements about unconventional design. They invite visitors to see the world from a new angle, proving that sometimes a flipped perspective can inspire fresh ideas and creativity.
As I moved from room to room, I marveled at how each space offered a new perspective. The kitchen had dishes that appeared to be glued to the ceiling, while the bathroom had a mirror that seemed to reflect the world from a topsy turvy angle. I couldn’t help but take a few pictures capturing the moment to share with my friends and family knowing fully well that they wouldn’t believe it until they get to see it for themselves.
The fascinating story and daring vision that brought the first upside down house in West Africa to life.
In the early 19th century during a period of significant transformation, a surge of freedom allowed former African slaves to return to their ancestral lands. After gaining their independence in Brazil, they made their way back to the continent that had once been their home, settling in areas such as Lagos Island and Portnovo. These Afro-Brazilians, referred to as Agudas or Saros. They were not just merely returning to their origins but they were building new lives, blending their Portuguese influenced Brazilian heritage with their strong African traditions. Their legacy emerged unexpectedly as they settled in coastal cities, particularly around Lagos Island.
Pedro’s family members were part of these people. Akinseye Pedro was a proud Afro-Brazilian figure, according to legend, Pedro Akinseye was a wise, diligent and trustworthy businessman, skilled in trade and known for his charm. He was one of the lively returnees of the 19th century, beloved and admired by his neighbors and all who encountered him. With a profound understanding of history and culture, his home reflected all that he embodied.
For decades, the house of Akinseye Pedro stood as a silent sentinel over Lagos, its walls steeped in the stories of old Lagosians and the generations of the Pedro clan who called it home. Its roof, weathered yet sturdy, seemed to absorb the spirit of resilience that defined the Eko business community which is a bustling hub of trade, culture, and life. But as time marched on and the city transformed, the old house began to feel the pull of progress. As skyscrapers reached for the skies and Afro-Brazilian homes were torn down to make way for modern developments, it seemed the House of Pedro was destined to fade into history, giving way to the new world that was rising around it.
Yet, Emmanuel Pedro, the grandchild of Akinseye Pedro was not ready to let go of his family’s legacy. Raised on stories of his grandfather’s strength and the perseverance of the returnees, Emmanuel saw the house not just as a building but as a living monument to the past. Determined to preserve his heritage, he set a plan in motion for the house would be moved to the Afro-Brazilian Cultural Centre in Ibeju-Lekki, where it could stand in peace, immortalized as a testament to the past.
As I was told, the house made its way through the streets of Lagos. Just as it reached Landmark in Oniru, a violent storm descended upon the city. Winds howled and thunder roared as a bolt of lightning split the sky and in that moment of chaos, something extraordinary happened! The house was lifted by the wind, spinning high into the air. Onlookers watched in awe as the storm’s fury seemed to guide the house, flipping it upside down in mid-flight. When the storm subsided and the dust settled, there it was: the House of Pedro was not merely displaced but perfectly inverted and now standing on its roof. The house had fallen.
I heard that the house that collapsed was abandoned, but Emmanuel, Pedro’s grandson, refused to give up. He devised a new plan to restore his grandfather’s home. This explains why everything in the upside down house appeared so contemporary. Today, the House of Pedro is known as the Upside down House which stands proudly within Landmark Lagos, a place of curiosity and wonder for visitors from all corners of the globe.
Emmanuel refurbished the house and it explains why there were modern equipment and furniture even the refrigerator which didn’t exist in the 19th century in Emmanuel grandfather’s house. There were different sections of the house which includes the Kitchen, Private sitting room, Master’s bedroom, Dinning room where Papa Akinseye sat to discuss with his friends and family about how he became a successful business man, the rest room where the water closet was upside down and the bathroom where the bathtub was also placed upside down, the children’s room with a cupboard turned upside down and the Auntie’s room. This house has a lot of rooms with three stairs.
The real magic of the upside down house is not just in the structure but also in the way it messes with your mind. The main entrance to the house of Pedro was just in the ground floor, I saw the welcome footmat , the flower vase and as I moved further and I saw Emmanuel’s bicycle placed carefully in the corridor but was also upside down.
I realized many other Tourists from other states and countries travel down to experience and see what this magnificent building really looks like. Booking from Mondays to Sunday is within the range of three thousand naira (3,000 naira) to seventeen thousand naira (17,000 naira), there are different prices for different time slots with respect to the day of the week and demands. The house is opened from the time of 9:00am till 9:00pm in the evening.
Visiting the first upside down house in West Africa was more than just a visit but a reminder that seeing the world from a different angle makes life seem more interesting. I left feeling a little more open-minded, a little more curious about the world and a little more willing to see things from an entirely new perspective.
Would you be interested in seeing this for yourself, or have you visited before? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!
