Following the decay of the old mosque in Adeane in the Ziguinchor region of Senegal, the community decided to re-launch the image of the city with the design of a new mosque, giving the community a unique and representative place of worship and attraction. Description by the architect, Raoul Vecchio: Based on Adeane's centuries-old religious history, the project aims to … [Read more...]
Redefining a new vernacular architecture in Goma, DRC
Nyiragongo Villa I is the expression of resilience of the city and people of Goma. A city of one million people located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, in the North Kivu province, DR Congo. Goma lies only 13 to 18 km due south of the crater of the active Nyiragongo Volcano. On 17 January 2002, after several months of increased seismic and fumarolic activity, a 13km … [Read more...]
Could Zaha Hadid’s Nile Tower still become a reality?
In 2007 Zaha Hadid drew up plans for the ‘Nile Tower’, a 70-storey skyscraper intended to be Africa’s tallest building. Planned as a landmark structure for Cairo, the development was to be built on the banks of the Nile, offering sweeping views towards the country’s famous pyramids. At its base, the scheme features a glazed atrium housing communal programming, with a hotel and … [Read more...]
Masterplan proposal for Moroccan beachfront blurs the boundaries between city and sea
UK and Iraq-based AMBS Architects and local partner Archgues Guessous Associates have submitted a new masterplan for Rabat’s beach in Morocco, which blurs the boundaries between the city and the sea. Aiming at becoming a true urban intervention, the project extends its role as a literal ‘support platform’ for the public, with a design meant to create and shape social … [Read more...]
Doing justice to office design Part 2: The evolution of the workspace
Kuba Granicki, Alessio Lacovig and Mike Rassmann, the three partners behind Johannesburg-based Architects Of Justice, sat down to have a discussion on how the workplace, and the architect’s role in its design, has evolved over the past few decades and point out areas where they feel it can be improved. How do you see office spaces having changed over the years? Mike … [Read more...]
Mauritius’ first Green Star certification
The Mon Trésor Business Gateway, a 13 500sqm office park in the district of Grand Port, has recently become the first project in Mauritius to receive a Green Star certification, achieving a 4-Star Green Star SA Office v1.1 Design rating in July 2018. Owned by MAREF Mon Trésor Investments, the development was designed by Architects’ Studio and Boogertman + Partners, with … [Read more...]
Architecture concept for a spiritual community
KPRA is the name of an Italian architecture collective consisting of Piergiacomo Acerboni, Andrea Redaelli, Danilo Tomasoni and Michele Amadori. They have recently submitted a bid for the Kaira Looro International Architecture Competition (which challenges design groups to conceptualise a community-driven spiritual center for the Senegalese village of Tanaf) with the HUT … [Read more...]
Setting new standards for high rise building construction in Kenya
Sanlam Tower, a state of the art eighteen storey office tower designed by GAPP Architects & Urban Designers, is setting new standards for high rise building construction in Kenya. According to Peter J. Muller, who oversaw the construction on behalf of GAPP Architects & Urban Designers, the building draws upon lessons learned on previous projects to create a timeless … [Read more...]
Improved installation solutions for modern flooring
Construction chemical manufacturer, Mapei, has launched its new Resilient line of state-of-the-art flooring solutions that have been specially developed to meet modern flooring requirements. These all-new formulations have been specially developed for new kinds of flooring that have become available in recent years, such as laminates, new vinyl and polymer types … [Read more...]
Creating a hub for innovation in Africa
The Botswana Innovation Hub, by SHoP Architects, will be an iconic symbol of Botswana’s support for research and development, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship and acting as a nexus for knowledge creation and innovation. The client’s brief was for an iconic yet timeless building which employed the most advanced green technology available. With this in mind SHoP’s … [Read more...]