# Megastructure Shanty Towns Designer Olalekan Jeyifous Imagines Poverty-Stricken High-Rise Towers By Riley von Niessen | Published 2016-08-11 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shanty-towns References: [dezeen](http://www.dezeen.com/2016/08/09/shanty-megastructures-lekan-jeyif-conceptual-images-lagos-nigeria/) & [vigilism](http://vigilism.com) As a means to outline economic inequality, Olalekan Jeyifous decided to show what shanty towns in Lagos, Nigeria, might look like if they had [towering skyscrapers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rruga-adem-jashari) like more well-off urban landscapes. The project, dubbed 'Shanty Megastructures,' is strange to view due to its ability to subvert ones expectations as to what a city should look like. By translating shanty towns to the center of cities, the designer places the issue somewhere that can't be ignored, as the people living in [extreme poverty](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/54-social-housing) too often are. Olalekan Jeyifous explained the project by saying "These images juxtapose sites of privileged and much coveted real-estate throughout Lagos, Nigeria, with colossal vertical settlements representing marginalised and impoverished communities." With this, Shanty Megastructures looks to generate a conversation surrounding the lack of resources granted to shanty towns and the government's desire to replace the areas with private sectors. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.7/10 - Popularity: 61% | Activity: 72% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Economic Inequality:** Disruptive Innovation Opportunity: Developing innovative solutions to address and reduce economic inequality in urban areas. - **Urban Poverty:** Disruptive Innovation Opportunity: Creating sustainable and affordable housing solutions for impoverished communities in urban areas. - **Social Awareness:** Disruptive Innovation Opportunity: Leveraging technology and design to raise social awareness about poverty and inequality in cities. ### Where This Applies - **Urban Planning:** Disruptive Innovation Opportunity: Integrating inclusive and sustainable urban planning strategies to address the needs of marginalized communities. - **Architecture:** Disruptive Innovation Opportunity: Designing innovative and cost-effective housing structures for economically disadvantaged populations. - **Social Impact:** Disruptive Innovation Opportunity: Leveraging business models and technologies to create positive social impact in urban areas affected by poverty. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Unfinished Mall Textile Installation](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/super-limbo.md) - [Eco-Friendly Modular Refugee Shelters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/allspace-1.md) - [Colorful Social Housing Blocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/van-sinderen-plaza.md) - [Unconventional Chinese Housing Estates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/longnan-garden.md) - [Towering Wooden Block Sets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/capsule-tower.md) - [Staggered Cubic Skyscrapers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ooda.md) - [Protest Sand Architecture](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bland-castles.md) - [Reinvented Compact Living](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/affordable-housing-prototype.md) - [Concrete Skyscraper Trio Sets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rruga-adem-jashari.md)