Tunisia Architecture News, buildings design

Tunisian architecture news 2026, North African building design photos, construction images, Tunis property architects

Tunisia Architecture News

post updated 2 May 2026

Tunisia Architectural News

Tunisian Architecture Designs – chronological list

1 May 2026

New photos published:

Hôtel du Lac Building – Modernist Icon

photos © Daniel Lomholt-Welch

Commissioned by Habib Bourguiba, the hotel was designed by Italian architect Raffaele Contigiani and completed in 1973, making it a notable example of post-independence modernist architecture in Tunisia.

At the eastern end of Avenue Habib Bourguiba stands the striking Hôtel du Lac, an architectural landmark known for its dramatic, top-heavy silhouette. Shaped like an inverted pyramid, the building appears to balance on a narrow base, with its upper floors jutting outward in a way that seems to defy gravity.

Its bold design features a steel frame and an exposed concrete façade, giving it a distinctly futuristic, almost sculptural look. Large windows line the cantilevered staircases on either side, adding both light and visual rhythm to the structure.

Work to dismantle the iconic Hôtel du Lac Building began in September 2025, with crews removing windows floor by floor and partially stripping the roof. The site’s Libyan owners acquired the property in 2010. They plan to replace it with a $150 million development featuring a shopping center and a 20-story luxury hotel, designed to echo the distinctive form of the original structure.

Dougga Archaeological Site

Dougga is one of North Africa’s most remarkable archaeological sites.

Perched on a hill in northern Tunisia, about 70 miles from Tunis, Dougga stands out because of how extensively and clearly its ancient layout has survived. Unlike many Roman-era cities that were built over by later settlements, Dougga was largely abandoned, which helped preserve it almost intact.

photographs © Daniel Lomholt-Welch

What makes it especially fascinating is the layering of cultures. Before Roman control, the area was influenced by Numidian and Punic civilizations, and you can still see that blend in structures like the Lybico-Punic Mausoleum. When the Romans arrived, they transformed Dougga into a thriving provincial town, adding grand monuments such as:

– A well-preserved Roman theater overlooking sweeping plains
– The Capitol, dedicated to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva
– Temples, baths, and paved streets that still trace the city’s layout

Its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site reflects both its state of preservation and its historical depth—spanning more than 17 centuries.

One of the most appealing aspects of visiting Dougga is exactly what you mentioned: you can experience the entire site in a single day without feeling rushed, yet still walk through layers of ancient history in a very tangible way.

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Tunisia Building News

Tunisia Architectural Projects, chronological:

9 July 2022
Le Jardin d’Afrique, Zarzis
Design: Artist Rachid Koraïchi

photograph : Cemal Emden
On Tunisia’s coast, the project is a memorial to and graveyard for migrants who drowned whilst crossing the Mediterranean. The artist Rachid Koraïchi initiated the project when he discovered the situation, bought a plot of land and designed the entire project.

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Key modern property developments in North Africa:

12 Nov 2019
Dar Hi in Naftah, Tunisia Health and Wellness Hotel
Architects: Matali Crasset

photograph : Jérôme Spriet
“Dar Hi is not a hotel nor a classical SPA but more a place where you can experience withdrawal and benefit from a spiritual thalassotherapy a few hours away from Paris and in the middle of the desert”, says Patrick Elouarghi. After the experience of the HI hotel in Nice, now Dar HI in Nefta which is the fruit of the collaboration between matali crasset, Patrick Elouarghi and Philippe Chapelet with a new concept of eco-retreat.

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New buildings – contemporary built environment designs updates:

11 Mar 2018
Sarah Mag Toumi Cultural + Educational Center, El Hencha
Architects: Philippe Barriere Collective (PB+Co)

photograph © Yosri Boukadida
This Cultural and Educational Communal Center is based on social, agricultural, artisanal, and technological innovation. It is managed on social entrepreneurship principles to better answer the needs of women left out of the work force in rural communities.

More contemporary Tunisia Architecture News online at e-architect soon.

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Tunisia Architecture News up to 2017

4 Jan 2017
Colline aux Oliviers in Tunis
Architects: Philippe Barriere Collective (PB+Co)

photograph : Abderrahmen Ezzine

9 Jan 2017
Mahmud Qabadu Mosque in Djedeida
Architects: Philippe Barriere Collective (PB+Co)

photograph : Abderrahmen Ezzine
This new Tunisian mosque building has been designed to become a religious and urban landmark playing a central role within the rural community. It is positioned at the center of the two-major axis of the urban development, joining the rural park with the main commercial artery and the two large urban pedestrian plazas (one with shops, the other without).

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18 Sep 2015 + 4 Jul 2014
Revolution Tower Tunis, Square of 14 Janvier, Tunis
Design: Philippe Barriere Collective (PB+Co)

image from architects studio – renderings: LMM, Mathieu Grenier Digital Artist
Initiated by the foundation Symboles, the project is situated at the intersection of two main axes in central Tunis. This architecture project includes the redesign of the Square of 14 Janvier and its surroundings as well as the construction of the World Social Center (WSC) Tower.