Orlando Modesti, an Argentine architect born on 4 May 1944 to Raquel and Belmo Modesti, died in Abuja on 12 September 2024 after a brief illness. The 80‑year‑old was laid to rest on his farm in the capital.
Modesti studied architecture at the Universidad Nacional de Rosario before moving abroad to pursue a global career. He worked in Rome and then for Norman Foster & Partners in London, designing projects in the UK, the Canary Islands and Spain. In 1978 he accepted a coordinator role with a Lagos firm owned by Oluwole Olomuiwa and became enamoured with Nigeria. After a year in Los Angeles assisting an American company with Middle‑East interests, he returned in 1980 and remained in Nigeria for the next forty‑plus years.
In 1988 Modesti joined forces with Spaniard Miguel Cabrera to form Jardin Nigeria Ltd, based in Abuja. As executive director, he helped the company grow into a respected name in design, construction, landscaping, urban renewal and agriculture. One of the firm’s landmark projects was the landscaping of a new state‑government hotel and the construction of an 18‑hole golf course, along with sporting and residential facilities, in Akwa Ibom State.
Friends and colleagues remember Modesti as a gentle, intellectual, self‑deprecating gentleman who loved nature and the arts. He was a devoted father to daughters Domitilla and Jemila, and a cherished member of a close circle that included Miguel, his wife Carol, their daughters Carlota and Gabriela, and author Donu Kogbara.
“Orlando fulfilled one of his most important dreams. He wanted to continue working as an architect until the last day of his life and he succeeded. He also dedicated the last forty years to the development of Abuja, working closely with the Federal Capital Development Authority to plan, develop and conserve the city’s green spaces.” – Miguel Cabrera
“He was a star on earth. Now he is a star in heaven.” – Stefania Kogbara
Modesti’s legacy extends beyond his built work. He was a passionate advocate for green spaces in Abuja and Akwa Ibom, often confronting the loss of public parks to commercial development. His death has left a profound void in the Nigerian architectural community and in the hearts of those who knew him.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
