African architecture news 2024, Building architects, New construction design, Property images

African Architecture News

Contemporary Africa Building Designs – Built Environment & Architects Updates

post updated post updated 22 November 2024

African Architecture Designs – chronological list

18 November 2024
Noom Hotel Abidjan Plateau, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Architects: SAOTA

image courtesy of architects practice
Noom Hotel Abidjan Plateau
In the vibrant heart of Abidjan, where the Plateau region meets the languid sweep of the Ébrié Lagoon, a striking new silhouette has emerged against the skyline. The Noom Hotel Abidjan Plateau, designed by architects SAOTA, is more than just a luxurious new addition to the city’s hospitality scene; it continues Abidjan’s modernist legacy, reinterpreted for the present.

29 October 2024
FBW-led international team delivers eco-friendly office project for UN agencies

African based FBW Group has led an international team that has delivered new eco-friendly headquarters in Uganda for two major United Nations agencies.

The leading architecture and engineering firm was appointed to deliver the new combined office in the capital Kampala to house the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and The World Food Programme (WFP).

The construction of the multi-million-dollar project on the 2.6-acre site in Mbuya is now complete and the development has been officially handed over.

New office building in Kampala for UNICEF and WFP:

image courtesy of FBW Group

The two organisation’s 350 staff will share the new premises and its facilities. FBW provided full in-house design services and acted as project lead.

FWB Group, which has offices in Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda, has a strong track record of work delivering projects for international agencies in the region, including the United Nations (UN).

UNICEF is responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. WFP is the food-assistance branch of the UN and is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation.

FBW’s team worked to create the four-storey office building which includes shared meeting rooms and conference facilities for both organisations.

Sustainability is at the heart of the development, with designers making use of natural ventilation and daylight. The building has been designed to save 20 per cent on energy use, water consumption and material-used in the building.

photograph : UNICEF Uganda/Joseph Balikuddembe/2024

This affords it an EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) certificate from the IFC-World Bank, a global standard for green building. The building has also been constructed using locally available materials.

The international team led by FBW was made up of Orbit Design, based in Thailand, providing interior designs; landscaping expert Landmark Studio from South Africa and Mace YMR, from Kampala, appointed as quantity surveyor on the scheme.

FBW has also worked on the project with WFP engineers and architects based in Rome and UNICEF’s New York-based architects and engineers.

FBW Group won the contract through an international open procurement process.

Stuart Harley, FBW’s director of operations, who is based in the group’s Kampala headquarters, said: “The new office development brings together two UN major organisations under one roof, and we’re delighted to have worked with both UNICEF and WFP on this major project for them in Uganda.

“A strong international team has delivered a building that has sustainability at its heart, works within the local landscape and caters for the needs of both these organisations and their staffs.”

He added: “Over a quarter of a century FBW Group has worked with a range of international organisations in Africa, including helping develop facilities for the UN in Tanzania.”

“Many of our present clients are international health and research organisations, bringing first-world specialist facilities to Africa.”

Abdirahman Meygag, WFP’s country director in Uganda, said: “This new eco-friendly office demonstrates WFP’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the well-being of our employees, and the strength of partnership.”

Munir Safieldin, UNICEF representative to Uganda, added. “This new climate-smart office building is more than just a workspace; it is a symbol of our commitment to building a sustainable future for the next generation.

“By investing in eco-friendly infrastructure, we are demonstrating to the children of today that their future matters. This building embodies our responsibility to protect not only the most vulnerable, but also the environment they will inherit.”

3 September 2024
Giraffe Water Towers, Serengeti, Tanzania, East Africa
Concept Design: ZOO Architects

images courtesy of architects practice
Giraffe Water Towers, Serengeti, Tanzania, Africa
In Laozi’s classic text the Tao Te Ching, it is written that the quality of existence for all things in nature are determined by the relationship between yin and yang (the aspects of polar opposites) within the “Tao”. The Tao “gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things.

13 August 2024
Abusera Airport, Abusera, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Design: Zaha Hadid Architects

Ethiopian Airlines current base at Bole International Airport Addis Ababa which offers no possibilities for significant expansion – photo © Alamy
Abusera Airport Addis Ababa
Ethiopian Airlines Group to build Africa’s largest airport to meet the airlines’ growth forecasts. Design consultancy contract for new airport awarded to the consortium led by DAR and Zaha Hadid Architects.

African Architectural News

Africa Architectural Projects in 2024 + Key New Property Designs, Winter-Spring, chronological:

16 April 2024
Masai Mara Conservation Centre, Oloololo Gate, Masai Mara, Kenya, East Africa
Masai Mara Conservation Centre, Kenya
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today launched an international open design competition for a new Conservation Centre at the Oloololo Gate, Masai Mara, Kenya, on behalf of Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy, the philanthropic arm of travel company Abercrombie & Kent.

30 March 2024
The Seasons, Guinea, West Africa
Design: MOST Monti Studio

photo : Andrea Ceriani
The Seasons Villa Guinea, West Africa
International architecture firm MOST studio has completed The Seasons, an unconventional residential project comprising a multi-functional villa with contemporary interiors, a garden, a mosque, a pool, and a basketball court. Raising on a large, unoccupied hilly area that slopes towards the sea, the project blurs the lines between urban and residential.

African Architecture News 2023

21 Oct 2023
Solar Link, Murzuq District, Sahara Desert
Architectural design: Elija Halil

render : Joseph Christopher Seaward
Solar Link, Murzuq District, Sahara Desert
Architectural designer Elija Halil has unveiled a revolutionary solar-powered architectural project in the Sahara Desert that presents a remarkable solution to our global energy problems.

27 September 2023
FBW Group Delivers Four Points by Sheraton Kampala

The first Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Uganda, delivered by leading African planning, design, architecture and engineering team FBW Group, has opened its door to guests.

Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Uganda:

image courtesy of FBW Group

The new Four Points by Sheraton Kampala is set to play its part in the continuing post pandemic recovery of Uganda’s visitor economy.
FBW has led on the multi-million-dollar hotel development in the Ugandan capital providing its architecture, structural and civil and MEP engineering expertise.

The hotel offers 142 guest rooms and suites, restaurants, bars and a ballroom as well as meeting rooms, swimming pool and fitness centre.

The official opening earlier this month came as Uganda looks to attract more visitors from across the world with a new marketing initiative.

The ‘Explore Uganda, The Pearl of Africa’ brand promises to provide visitors with a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, according to the Uganda Tourism Board, which is behind the plan.

Recent figures also show Uganda’s tourism trade continuing to rebound post-pandemic with visitor numbers rising 59 per cent in 2022. Last year the country welcomed around 814,508 international visitors.

Sitting at the foot of Kololo Hill, an upscale residential area, and near to Nakasero, Kampala’s central business district, the new Four Points by Sheraton Kampala is around 40km from Entebbe International Airport.

FBW, which has operations in Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda, delivered a full design and construction service on the project, covering project management, architecture, structural and civil engineering as well as MEP engineering.

King Standard Room at Four Points by Sheraton hotel, Uganda:

image courtesy of FBW Group

Nigel Tilling, project director at FBW Group, said: “We’re delighted that this fantastic addition to Kampala’s visitor and hospitality offering is now complete and is opening to guests.

“The whole construction and design team had to cope with the extra pressures brought by the pandemic in the middle of the project.
“The newly delivered hotel stands as testament to the professionalism and determination of everyone involved, from the client team and construction crews to the engineers and architects.

“Four Points by Sheraton Kampala is part of the 31 Marriott International brands and one of the fastest-growing hospitality brands in the world and is sure to make a big impact on business and leisure travellers. It is an impressive sight.”

Four Points by Sheraton is a multinational hotel brand operated by Marriott International Inc that targets business travellers and conventions.
As of June 30, 2020, Marriott operated 291 properties worldwide under the Four Points by Sheraton brand, with 53,054 rooms. In addition, Marriott had 130 planned hotels with 27,342 additional rooms.

FBW has played its part in the development of the visitor economy in Uganda. It delivered Kampala’s first boutique hotel The Emin Pasha is set in two acres of tropical gardens in the centre of the city.

FBW was the architect, project manager and engineer on the luxury 20-room hotel development, which remains a popular destination.
The group’s architects and engineers have also worked on a number of high-profile signature hotel and leisure projects across East Africa.
These include the multi-million refurbishment of the Hotel Umubano in the Rwandan capital Kigali, several bespoke boutique lodges in Rwanda and Kenya and the design of a major international branded hotel in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Stuart Harley, the group’s chief operating officer, said: “The growth in hotel investment in Kampala and other cities in East Africa has mirrored the development of the visitor economy and we’re proud of the part we’ve played in some key developments, including this latest Four Points by Sheraton development.

“The hotel projects we have been involved in have played their part in raising standards and delivering quality experiences for visitors to Uganda as well as helping the growth of the tourism sector, which is now beginning to bounce back from the impact of Covid.”

FBW is a major player in the region’s construction and development sector, working on high-profile infrastructure projects.

The multi-disciplinary planning, design, architecture and engineering group currently has a workforce of more than 30 professionals delivering high value construction and development projects across Africa.

Its services include pre-design services, development consultancy, building appraisals and condition surveys, project management, architecture, civil and structural engineering, MEP engineering, telecommunication engineering, and other building consultancy services.
For more information on FBW Group and its services please visit www.fbwgroup.com

11 July 2023
Komera Leadership Center, Rwanda, East Africa
Architects: BE_Design

photo : Bruce Engel
Komera Leadership Center, Rwanda
BE_Design proudly presents the Komera Leadership Center, a facility in the rural eastern province of Rwanda providing health, education, and mentorship programs for young women, and a place for family development initiatives and community gatherings.

15 September 2023i
Sustainable Cities Are Vital In Meeting Africa’s Climate Challenges

Leading planning, design, architecture and engineering practice FBW Group says the inaugural Africa Climate Summit has highlighted the pressing need to deliver liveable cities with sustainability at their heart.

The role sustainable cities can play in becoming the centre of Africa’s “resilient future” was highlighted at the Africa Climate Summit, hosted by the government of Kenya in Nairobi, and during Africa Climate Week, which ran alongside the summit.

Following the gathering, African leaders committed to implementing policies, regulations and incentives aimed at attracting local, regional and global investment in green growth and inclusive economies.

Their calls to action include “leapfrogging” traditional industrial development and fostering green production and supply chains on a global scale.

The leaders’ statement also declared that investment into carbon credits should place Africa on the receiving side for green finance and spur sustainable transformations in fast growing African cities, in line with the UN development goals.

Welcoming the commitments to green growth, East African based FBW Group, part of the team tasked with delivering the trailblazing Kigali Green City project in the Rwandan capital, believes integrated climate solutions at a local level need to be accelerated.

These include scaling up the production and use of sustainable building materials, nature-based solutions, renewable energy and better transport solutions.

FBW also believes more global investment is needed to develop the local manufacturing of specialised products, to create African supply chains based on a circular economy rather than imports and to deliver more local jobs.

The Kigali Green City project FBW is involved in is looking to demonstrate that building green is “a necessity, not a luxury”.

It will feature a range of initiatives, including the use renewable energy, rainwater harvesting, wastewater management, recycling and reuse of water and sustainable transport solutions. All have a part to play in delivering a sustainable future.

The development will also deliver much needed quality homes for people in the lower-to-middle-income brackets.

FBW Group, which has offices in Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya, has been appointed to be the local team on the ground, delivering the key services of architecture, structural and civil engineering and mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering (MEP).

The firm’s initial roles in the Green City project include suggestions on local material supply, environmental standards and stakeholder engagement and submissions.

Antje Eckoldt, FBW Group director, says: “One of the aims of the project is to combine appropriate technologies, progressive thinking and the use of local skills and materials to show that this urban environment has everything it needs to sustain its community and for people to live green.”

As part of its work towards creating a circular economy to unlock green growth, FBW has been exploring local low-carbon construction methods and materials and how they can be used to their maximum affect.

That work includes collaborating with sustainable building material innovators such as Oxara on the use of new products to create stabilised earth blocks and other building material applications without the use of cement. It is an ongoing project.

Antje says: “If we are to reduce construction carbon impacts, including the reduction in the carbon impact of transporting materials over long distances, we need to deliver local solutions using local materials found on site for the majority of construction.

“Materials such as earth and stone were traditionally used in most cultures and they can be easily re-used and recycled as buildings come to the end of their life.

“We also need to scale-up production of these materials and create strong local supply chains that in turn deliver much needed employment.”
The mayors and governors of 12 African cities and metropolitan areas used the climate summit to call on national and international leaders to support them in creating “good, green jobs” and accelerating the transition to a sustainable economy.

FBW Group believes a strong and sustainable economic strategy has the potential to create tens of thousands of those jobs across Africa, in construction, green energy and other sectors.

FBW Group has been at the cutting edge of sustainable design and construction in Africa for more than two decades.

During that time it has gained a wealth of practical experience in the design and delivery of sustainable building solutions and green principles form an integral part of the design thinking that underlies all its work.

As part of its continuing commitment to ‘build green’ and to advocate for green buildings it is also a member of the Kenyan Green Building Society, part of the World Green Building Council. It is also a champion of the EDGE green building certification system.

Its team has been working with the International School of Kigali (ISK) to create a 21st Century ‘green’ campus. All its buildings have been designed to be constructed using locally made, eco-friendly brickwork, fired through a low embodied carbon technique.

Sustainability was another large consideration in its delivery of a masterplan for the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) campus expansion project in Rwanda.

FBW also designed the campus in response to the distinctive climate that its highland forest setting brings, creating a pedestrian-friendly environment focusing on the natural landscape to provide external spaces for studying, physical activity and social interaction.

For more information on FBW Group and its projects and services across Africa please visit www.fbwgroup.com

29 + 28 June 2023
Berhan Bank Headquarter, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, northeast Africa
Design: Söhne & Partners

image courtesy of architects office
Berhan Bank Headquarter Addis Ababa
Söhne & Partners present their design for the new headquarters of Berhan Bank. It was developed as part of a competition and in close cooperation with their local partners from Image Consultancy PLC Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

15 June 2023
Pure Power/Daily Combat Strategy for Water Collection, Rujewa, Tanzania, eastern Africa
Design: Hong-En,Lin

render : Hong-En,Lin
Pure Power, Tanzania, Eastern Africa
Hong-En, Lin introduces a Pure Power/Daily Combat Strategy for Water Collection in Africa, where water resources are often polluted, and where long distances to obtain water make the task difficult. For many people, it can take one to three hours to get from home to a water source, but even then the water they obtain is often muddy.

6 June 2023
Bidi Bidi Refugee Music & Arts Centre, Uganda
Design: Hassell with LocalWorks

image courtesy of architects office
Bidi Bidi Pavilion at London Design Biennale
A pavilion dedicated to Bidi Bidi Music & Arts Centre in northern Uganda’s Bidi Bidi refugee settlement, developed by to.org, designed by Hassell, in partnership with Arup, will debut at London Design Biennale this June.

16 Jan 2023
Key Kenya Promotions as FBW Group Continues to Develop Talent

Leading African planning, design, architecture and engineering team FBW Group has announced two senior promotions as it looks to further develop its presence in Kenya over the next 12 months.

Charles Nganga and MaryRose Akii have been promoted to Associate level. They are both based in FBW’s office in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
Charles has been working as a senior consultant and department head and MaryRose is also a department head and senior architect. They have played major roles on a wide range of high-profile projects led by the Nairobi office.

Their promotions come as FBW sees continuing post-pandemic growth, with a pipeline of work across its operations and opportunities throughout the continent.

The group is also looking to further grow its presence in Kenya as the tenth anniversary of the opening of its Nairobi operation approaches.

FBW, which has offices in Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda, also continues to invest in the development of the architects and engineers who will deliver Africa’s vision of green, sustainable urban growth. Its Kenyan office has played a key part in work towards the creation of a low-cost, affordable housing strategy for the country.

FBW Group Managing Director Paul Moores said: “We’re delighted to announce these promotions which highlight the strength-in-depth we have in all our disciplines and across the business.

“They further strengthen our management team as we look to increase our presence in Kenya and continue to expand into other parts of Africa as our pipeline of work in all sectors grows.

“Our people have a wealth of experience, and their range of knowledge ensures that we consistently deliver projects efficiently and cost-effectively, with our Nairobi operation playing a central role in work we are involved in across the continent.

“These well-deserved promotions are also recognition of the commitment MaryRose and Charles have shown, their importance to the group and the contribution they are making to FBW’s success.”

He added: “Talented people like these are our most precious asset. We work hard to grow and develop our young talent so they can play key roles in our portfolio of work and, beyond that, play their part in Africa’s development.”

MaryRose joined FBW in 2010 and became part of its Kenya team in 2019, arriving in Nairobi from the group’s Kampala head office in Uganda.
Her portfolio of work includes an ongoing health design project at a leading medical research centre in The Gambia.

She said: “One of the strengths of FBW is the way all its offices across East Africa work together to deliver projects and the interesting and varied work you are involved in as a result. The group is also heavily focused on sustainability and green design.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to develop and progress both professionally and within the business, playing my part in its continued growth.”

Charles joined FBW in 2018. Previously he had worked in the UK for more than a decade and studied at the University of Manchester.

During his time at FBW, he has worked on a range of high-profile projects, including several for Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), the continent’s largest soft drinks bottler. He has also been part of the FBW teams delivering health and education projects in Rwanda and The Gambia.

Charles said: “The variety of projects you are involved in is one of the reasons that FBW such an enjoyable place to work.

“Career development is also important to the business and there are clear paths you can pursue. We’ve also got a strong supportive team at all levels of the business. People are here to see you succeed.”

FBW, which has worked for more than 25 years in Africa, is playing its part in growing its skills base and is also actively nurturing the development of young professionals in all its offices.

As well as an in-house intern programme and links with educational establishments, FBW’s commitment to professional development sees its young talent encouraged as they gain knowledge and experience on their career journeys.

FBW offers a wide range of in-house professional building and technical services. They include pre-design services, development consultancy, building appraisals and condition surveys, project management, architecture, civil and structural engineering, MEP engineering, telecommunication engineering, and other building consultancy services.

FBW has also built a strong track record in supporting British-based organisations to deliver international standards.

For more information on FBW Group and its work please visit www.fbwgroup.com

24 Nov 2022
Kigali Green City Project, Rwanda
Design: Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios + regional architects Light Earth Designs, A Studio Space and Studio FH Architects

image : FCBS
Kigali Green City Project
Leading East African planning, design, architecture and engineering firm FBW Group has been appointed to the international team tasked with delivering the trailblazing Kigali Green City project in the Rwandan capital. The transformational development is being hailed as is an important milestone on the road to creating more sustainable green cities in the region and worldwide.

17 Nov 2022
Master Plan Langue de Barbarie, Saint Louis, Senegal, West Africa
Design: Cosmos Architecture, of CosmosIvicsa

images courtesy of architects practice
Langue de Barbarie resort
The new resort in Langue de Barbarie located in Saint Louis, Senegal, is currently the biggest development in West Africa. This unique project has been designed by Cosmos Architecture, the design department of CosmosIvicsa, to make living in paradise a reality for those who want it.

23 July 2022
National Teachers Colleges, near the towns of Kaliro and Mubende, Uganda
Design: Oubuntu-DASUDA & BKVV Architects

Eppo Karsijn
photos : Eppo Karsijns and Nambasa Sabrina – Frame Media
National Teachers Colleges, Mubende Uganda
This building consists of a large-scale campus renovation and new build facilities at two educational locations near the towns of Kaliro and Mubende, both in Uganda. The build project for approximately 2,000 students, featuring 24 renovated buildings and eight new buildings, encompasses student and teacher housing, classroom buildings, energy-efficient kitchens, sports facilities, sustainable energy facilities, waste recycling systems, and food production facilities.

3 July 2022
Bringing health and hope to Burundi

A state-of-the-art 150 bed teaching hospital in Burundi that will deliver vital care for women and children in one of the poorest nations in Africa is on course to open its doors this year.

Kigutu Hospital and Women’s Health Pavilion building design in Burundi:

image : Bergen Street Studio

The US$20m Kigutu Hospital and Women’s Health Pavilion is the latest phase in a project transforming the remote mountain village of Kigutu into a centre of community-driven health care and education that is being delivered by Village Health Works (VHW) and will bring high quality surgical capacity to rural Burundi.

The medical facility is now in the final stages of construction. When completed, it will provide essential and emergency obstetrics and surgical care.
FBW Group was involved as project manager and lead designer in the detailed design stages of the development and is proud to have played a part in the successful delivery of the project to date.

FBW, which has offices in Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda, has helped deliver health projects in Africa, many in remote rural areas, for more than 25 years.
One in 23 women will die during pregnancy or childbirth in Burundi, where 80 per cent of the population lives on under $1 a day.

Once open, women will be able to give birth safely in a dignified environment, with access to immediate c-sections and other services to increase the safety of both mother and child.

The Kigutu Hospital and Women’s Health Pavilion will have seven delivery rooms, a prenatal and postnatal ward, a neonatal intensive care unit, nursery, general and malnutrition wards. It will also have an emergency room.

As well as saving lives and reducing needless suffering the facility will provide an excellent training and education environment for Burundian healthcare professionals, helping retain talent in the country.

Village Health Works is a New York-based non-profit organisation founded by Deogratias ‘Deo’ Niyizonkiza, an American citizen and medical doctor born in rural Burundi, who has become an inspirational voice in global health and international development.

Village Health Works has turned this area of Burundi into a bustling campus which serves a catchment area of 200,000 people.

The project began in 2005 when Deo travelled back to Burundi to establish VHW, with the goal of creating a healthcare system model in Kigutu.

Thanks to community-donated land, a small amount of seed money from American fellow students and supporters and the work of volunteers, the centre opened its doors to the community in December 2007.

FBW Group managing director Paul Moores said: “It’s fantastic to see that work on the Kigutu Hospital and Women’s Health Pavilion is progressing.
“It is a testament to the dedication, drive and determination of VHW and the team behind the project.

“This is a truly transformational development for Burundi and its people, delivering first-world quality health services to a remote part of rural Africa.

“The Women’s Health Pavilion will provide vital care for women and children in the region. It is a true ‘game changer’ in health services for Burundi and we’re proud to have played some part in its creation.”

24 June 2022
CEM Kamanar Secondary School, Thionck Essyl, Senegal, West Africa
Design: Dawoffice / David Garcia, Aina Tugores

photo : Amir Anoushfar
CEM Kamanar Secondary School Senegal
When architects from Dawoffice saw the overcrowding at Thionck Essyl’s only secondary school, they resolved to build a new one through their charitable foundation, Foundawtion.

24 June 2022
Niamey 2000, Niamey, Republic of the Niger, West Africa
Design: united4design / Yasaman Esmaili, Elizabeth Golden, Mariam Kamara, Philip Straeter

photo : Aboubacar Magagi
Niamey 2000
Living spaces open out onto self-shading courtyards, which are cooled by both cross and stack ventilation, each family unit contains two floors. The buildings are a direct response to the current housing and socio-economic conditions found in the city of Niamey.

3 June 2022
Outros Bairros Rehabilitation Programme, port of Mindelo, São Vicente, Cape Verde
Architect: OUTROS BAIRROS / Nuno Flores

photo : Nuno Flores
Outros Bairros Rehabilitation Programme in Mindelo
Growing out of a design initiative at the local Institute of Art, Technology and Culture, this rehabilitation of the Alto de Bomba district of the port city of Mindelo is rooted in the day-to-day life of the population.

19 May 2022
Nairobi Central Railway Station, Nairobi, Kenya
Architects: Atkins

image courtesy of architects practice
Nairobi Central Railway Station, Kenya
As part of the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership, the UK and Kenyan governments have today launched the final design of Nairobi’s new Central Railway Station and public realm. The new design, which was completed by Atkins UK and handed over to Kenya Railways and the Ministry of Transport, is part of the wider Nairobi Railway City redevelopment programme, championed by President Kenyatta and supported by the UK government.

21 Apr 2022
Abidjan Tower, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, West Africa
Architecture: Paulo Merlini Architects

image : SA Digital Technology Co., Ltd
Abidjan Tower, Ivory Coast Building
The Abidjan Tower is a building of sculptural character that dances on itself, taking advantage of the views of the surrounding lagoon. With two apartments per floor and surrounding balconies, the building developed for the upper class is a milestone that defines the start of the masterplan development for this part of the city.

15 Mar 2022
Focus on sustainability grows in East Africa
Focus on sustainability grows in East Africa
The focus on sustainability in building design and construction is set to become even sharper over the next 12 months, according to leading East African architecture and engineering practice FBW group. The group, which is helping deliver large-scale development projects across the region, believes a continuing focus on sustainable design and the increased use of locally sourced African materials is vital moving forward.

27 Jan 2022
Clinical Research Excellence And Training Open Resource, Republic of Malawi, southeast Africa
Design: FBW Group

image courtesy of architects practice
Clinical Research Excellence And Training Open Resource Malawi Building
The new Clinical Research Excellence and Training Open Resource (CREATOR) will provide the most sophisticated clinical research training environment in the region. It has been described as “paradigm shifting”, meaning a whole new way of thinking and doing business.

More African Architecture News on e-architect soon

African Architecture News 2021

14 Dec 2021
Kigali school campus masterplan

image courtesy of architecture office
International School of Kigali Building, Rwanda
Leading architecture and engineering firm FBW Group is working with the International School of Kigali (ISK) to create a 21st Century ‘green’ campus in the Rwandan capital. The ambitious $5m project will deliver a centre of learning for 500 students, with modern classrooms, state-of-the-art laboratories, a ‘maker space’ and first-class sports facilities on a 2.3 hectares site in Kibagabaga.

8 Dec 2021
Kao La Amani Children’s Village, Kilimanjaro, northern Tanzania, eastern Africa

image courtesy of architecture office
Kao La Amani Children’s Village, Northern Tanzania
In the town of Boma Ng’ombe in the Hai district of Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania, a single-storey orphanage is home to 60 children between the ages of 3 to 18. In an overcrowded rented building where 3-4 children can share a bed, rooms are dark, and the grounds offer little space for outside play.

2 Dec 2021
Skyscraper for Dakar, Dakar, Senegal, West Africa
Design: Architect Johannes Baar-Baarenfels, Vienna

image courtesy of architecture office
Dakar Skyscraper Building: Johannes Baar-Baarenfels
The Miami Center for Architecture & Design pays tribute to the latest work of Viennese architect Johannes Baar-Baarenfels – a skyscraper in the West African megacity Dakar.

9 Nov 2021
Earth Pyramid Senegal Building, Senegal, West Africa

image courtesy of architecture office
Earth Pyramid Senegal Building Design
An exciting project offering the earth’s population opportunity to record their hopes, dreams and opinions – digitally preserved into securely sealed time capsule.

22 Sep 2021
Building growth in Rwanda
A decade of building growth in Rwanda

14 Sep 2021
New Social Housing in Cameroon
Design: TAMassociati with Arup

image courtesy of architectural practice
New Social Housing in Cameroon
TAMassociati, Impact Design experts and the former curatorial team of the Italian pavilion in 2016, in Venice, and Arup, the planning, design and consultancy company promotor of a single multidisciplinary approach to the “Total Design” project, present a world preview of a new masterplan: 10,000 new units of Social Housing in Cameroon. A pilot project for future planning throughout the African continent.

6 July 2021
National Public Health Emergency Operations Center & Laboratory, Republic of the Gambia, West Africa
Design: IDOM

image courtesy of architects practice
Emergency Treatment Centre Farato, Gambia
The Government of Gambia has developed a National Plan for Preparedness and Response to COVID19. The COVID-19 Plan focuses on scaling up and strengthening all aspects of preparedness and response, including coordination, surveillance, case management, communication, and social, psychosocial mobilization, as well as logistics and safety.

19 May 2021
Senegal Technology Park Building, Diamniadio, near Dakar, Senegal, West Africa
Design: IDOM

image courtesy of architects practice
Senegal Technology Park Building

14 Jan 2021
Circular Economy Article
Circular Economy in Africa : FBW Group news

More African Architecture News online here soon

African Architecture News in 2020

24 Nov 2020
Mauritius Golf Estate Buildings, Abuja, Nigeria, western Africa
Design: Rodriguez Pons / Architects

image courtesy of architects
Mauritius Golf Estate Buildings
Mauritius Golf Estate is located on a green and scenic landscape, a development of 30 houses with a small golf course, which invites you to live a sustainable lifestyle. There are 4.3 hectares that include large recreational areas promoting a calm and elegant environment, which aims at an emotional well-being.

7 Oct 2020
Kingsway Tower, Ikoyi, Lagos, western Africa
Architects: SAOTA

image courtesy of architects
Kingsway Tower, Ikoyi, Lagos
A landmark mixed-use building set on a prominent corner on Alfred Rewane Road, an arterial road that bisects the city leading north towards the airport and south to the Victoria Island. The building designed by South African architects SAOTA is 15-storeys high. It has a basement, a two-level retail podium, a parking podium and 12 office floor levels.

6 Aug 2020
US Investment Programme Is An African ‘game-changer’
Leading East African planning, design, architecture and engineering team FBW Group has welcomed the launch of the USA’s Africa Investment Advisor Programme as a potential “game-changer” for the region:
USA Africa Investment Advisor Programme

15 July 2020
University of Bambey Building, Diourbel, Senegal, West Africa
Design: IDOM

image from architects
University of Bambey Building
In Senegal, shade and water are everything. This lecture-room block project, a close relative of another in Gaston Berger, San Luis, which was commissioned by the Ministry of Education and the World Bank, is set in the city of Bambey, located 120 km west of Dakar. With a population of 20,000, Bambey stands out for its peanut and cattle farming, its scarce urban infrastructures and the surrounding harsh life conditions.

7 Mar 2020
Mercury House, Seychelles
Mercury House on Island of Mahe, Seychelles

28 Jan 2020
Building Green Cities
Building Green Cities across Africa

3 Jan 2020
The Whale Bar, St Regis Hotel, The Maldives Resort

More African Architecture News is welcome

African Architecture News in 2019

21 Dec 2019
Malawi Creator Centre, Medical Training Building

14 Oct 2019
Keta Sandlanders Football Club, Ghana
Design: Inter Urban Studios

image from architects
Keta Sandlanders Football Club in Ghana
As part of volunteer work for Architecture for Humanity London, Inter Urban Studios are delivering a new football pitch and community centre for this sports co-op in Keta, coastal Ghana, that provides local youth a place to foster sporting skills, a place for community activities, as well as guidance on sustainable farming techniques.

14 May 2019
Ngaren: The Museum of Humankind, Kenya, East Africa
Design: Studio Libeskind

image from architects
Ngaren: The Museum of Humankind in The Great Rift Valley
Campaign for a new museum dedicated to the story of humans, Ngaren: The Museum of Humankind: the unprecedented project located in Kenya’s Rift Valley is designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, Studio Libeskind, the master plan architect of the World Trade Center site.

21 Mar 2019
Dakar Railway Station, Senegal, western Africa
Design: Iglo Architects

image from architects
Dakar Railway Station Building
Iglo Architects have undertaken the consultancy of Dakar Railway Station Project, which is the first one of the railway station projects to be implemented in total 21 different locations in Senegal. Accomplished by the joint works of France, Senegal and Turkey, the opening of the railway station will be held within this month.

19 Mar 2019
Joali Resort, Muravandhoo Island, North Maldives
Interior design: Autoban

photo from Guralla
Joali Resort on The Maldives
This new resort focuses on “creating a unique story that joins the flora of a natural wonder of the island”. As another showcase of the studio’s multi-layered design approach, it gives a new meaning to the island life through an unlimited and dynamic experience, with an integral and a unique understanding between interior and exterior spaces, and architecture.

7 Jan 2019
Solar Well, Sambacounda village, Senegal
Design: Raoul Vecchio Architect

image from architects
Solar Well in West Africa
The architecture surrounds the well to protect and give value to the water resource. The design is light and delicate, in strong relation with the natural context. Walls don’t create a closed space, but they include the context in the interior space. A system of wooden beams obtained with a local essence, is achieved by overlapping elements bolted to reach the necessary light (6 meters).

More Contemporary African Architecture News will be online soon

African Architecture News 2018

23 Nov 2018
Oceans Paradise, Hulhumale, the Maldives
Design: CAA (Core of Architecture & Art) Architects

image Courtesy architecture office
Maldives Airport Economic Zone Mixed-use Development
Architectural competition winning design, utilising rainwater and solar energy harvesting, plus passive cross ventilation and tidal power.

17 Sep 2018
Villa Banalia, Democratic Republic of Congo
Architects: BasaboseStudio

image Courtesy architects firm
Villa in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Villa Banalia is both a renovation and an adaptation of an old industrial storage building.

16 Sep 2018
Nyiragongo Villa I, North Kivu province, Congo, Republic of the Congo
Architects: BasaboseStudio

image Courtesy architecture office
Villa in the North Kivu province, Congo
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.

13 Sep 2018
A Blueprint for Africa’s Future Cities

A Blueprint for Africa’s Future Cities
image Courtesy architecture office
Archasm Wilderness Pavilion Kenya Competition
Firmly established as Africa’s most progressive business orientated jurisdiction, Mauritius’ forward-thinking and nimble policies have resulted in the island nation riding the wave to the centre of investment and development in Africa.

Wilderness Pavilion Kenya Architecture Competition

Archasm Wilderness Pavilion Kenya Competition

26 Jan 2018
Wooden Tower, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria
Architects: Hermann Kamte & Associates (HKA)

image Courtesy architecture office
Lagos’s Wooden Tower
Originally designed as a submission for Metsä Wood’s City Above the City competition, Kamte’s design looks to tackle the problem of poorly planned construction in many African cities by pushing the boundaries of contemporary architecture.

More African Architecture News online here at e-architect soon

Africa Architectural Updates 2017

17 Nov 2017
Bristol Zoological Society Field Research Centre, Ankarafa Forest, Sahamalaza Peninsula, Radama National Park, northwestern Madagascar
Design: Landscape architect Grant Associates ; architect Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios

photograph © FCBS
Bristol Zoological Society Field Research Centre Building in Madagascar
Landscape architect Grant Associates has teamed up with Bristol Zoological Society (BZS) and the Richard Feilden Foundation (RFF), in conjunction with fellow Bath based architect Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBStudios), in a project to save Madagascar’s critically endangered wildlife, including the blue-eyed black lemur, and their forest habitat.

The Whale Bar, The Maldives
Design: WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design

image Courtesy architecture office
The Whale Bar, St Regis Hotel, The Maldives

27 Jul 2017
British High Commission Project in Accra, Ghana
Design: Gilbert-Ash
British High Commission Project in Accra, Ghana
Award-winning UK construction, refurbishment and fit out contractor, Gilbert-Ash, has been awarded a fit-out project on the British Embassy in Accra, Ghana.

3 May 2017
Mashambas Skyscraper, Manyoni, Tanzania
Architects: Ggrupa

image Courtesy architecture office
Mashambas Skyscraper in Manyoni
An area of cultivated ground; a plot of land, a small subsistence farm for growing crops and fruit-bearing trees, often including the dwelling of the farmer.

2 May 2017
Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
Architects: Sheppard Robson

image Courtesy architecture office
Nelson Mandela Childrens Hospital
The concept by London-based architects fulfils Nelson Mandela’s dream of providing a specialised facility for children.

18 + 1 Apr 2017
Currency Museum, Luanda, Angola
Design: COSTΛLOPES Architects

photo © Fabrice Fouillete
Currency Museum Luanda Building
The Currency Museum, which opened to the public in 2016, can be seen as one of the many steps towards establishing COSTΛLOPES as one of Angola’s leading architecture offices.

18 Mar 2017
Lusanga International Research Centre for Art and Economic Inequality, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Design: OMA, Architects

image © OMA
Lusanga International Research Centre for Art and Economic Inequality
On April 21–22, a quintessential White Cube will be inaugurated on a former Unilever plantation in Lusanga, 650 km southeast of Kinshasa, D.R. Congo. Designed by OMA, this White Cube is a central element of the Lusanga International Research Centre for Art and Economic Inequality (LIRCAEI).

Africa Architectural Updates 2016

1 Dec 2016
Grand Plaza Hotel, Cheraga, Algeria
Design: DNA Barcelona Architects

image Courtesy architecture office
Cheraga Hotel Building
The hotel has been designed in a manner that perfectly adapts to its environment. The design responds to the existing forms and the urban traces of its surroundings.

29 Oct 2016
New Parliament in Algeria, North Africa
Design: Bureau Architecture Méditerranée

image Courtesy architecture office
New Algerian Parliament
The New Algerian Parliament includes the People’s National Assembly, the National Council (Senate), the Chamber (Congress), and a residence for legislators.

23 Jun 2016
Coral Hotel, The Seychelles
Design: ARCHITECTS OF INVENTION

image Courtesy architecture office
Coral Hotel on the Seychelles
The project implies construction of an upscale lifestyle community comprised of a professionally serviced apartment complex, located on the reclaimed part of the main island of Seychelles– Sailwin.

18 Jan 2016
Finolhu Villas Hotel, The Maldives
Design: Yuji Yamazaki Architecture

image Courtesy architecture office
New Hotel in the Maldives
The world’s first entirely solar powered five-star resort is now open to guests. The Maldives has the lowest average ground level of any nation, which makes for some of the world’s most beautiful beaches.

21 Oct 2015
Le Parc de Mont Choisy Golf and Beach Estate, Grand Baie, Mauritius
Design: SAOTA

image Courtesy architecture office
Mont Choisy Homes in Mauritius
The site used to be a sugar plantation and has some wonderful historic buildings and avenues of Banyan and Flamboyant trees that will be retained.

26 Jul 2015
Pediatric Cancer Centre, Kigali, Rwanda
Architects: David Adjaye – Adjaye Associates

image Courtesy architecture office
Pediatric Cancer Centre in Kigali
Located in Kigali, Rwanda, on a 4 Hectare site, the pediatric cancer centre will provide a hospital and lodging facility for outpatients who need to reside close to the hospital, as well as residential housing for physicians and nurses.

27 Apr 2015
Disappearing Vernacular African Architecture
Article: Jon Twingi Sojkowski

Verandah wraps around a home Penganga village
Disappearing Vernacular African Architecture
The desire to modernize has created a situation in which traditional customs and practices are being abandoned. This is true even in the most remote of villages.

18 Feb 2015
60 sandbags classrooms, Mbera refugee camp, Mauritania
Architects: FARE Studio

image Courtesy architecture office
Sandbags Classrooms in Mauritania
In Mauritania between 2012 and 2014 FAREstudio operated at the Mbera Refugee Camp as ‘construction expert’ for Italian NGO INTERSOS, an implementing partner of a UN agency within the framework of a primary education program aimed at improving teaching-and-learning provisions in the camp and nearby communities.

11 Feb 2015
Youths Training Center, Sassara, Central African Republic
Architects: FARE Studio

image Courtesy architecture office
Youths Training Center in Central African Republic
FRC is a project that FAREstudio designed and partially managed in a post conflict rural area of Central African Republic of a youths Training Center for the rehabilitation and social reintegration, through training in agricultural and pastoral activities, of children and teenagers with problematic social and cultural backgrounds, including former child soldiers.

18 Nov 2014
The Legson Kayira Community Center & Primary School, Malawi, southeast Africa
Design: Architecture for a change

image Courtesy architecture office
Community Center & Primary School Building in Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi.