Program: Residential, Hotel
Client: Shore Properties 
Surface: 11.914  m2
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Status: Under construction
Time: 2019-2025

The future building is located a few meters from Bole Road, the main avenue of Addis Ababa. In this location, we were asked to design a singular building to generate a point of reference in the city and to be recognized from distance. Furthermore, it had to be an example of sustainable design, and in this way, combine singularity with respect for the environment.

The form of the building is generated from 4 volumes that are articulated to generate circulation spaces that open towards the views and are staggered at the top. At the end of the building the façades become 4 petals that have a triple function: to protect the façade from the high solar radiation, to extend the roof for its use and to generate singularity with an iconic form that can be seen in the distance and in proximity.

The 4 petals and their continuity on the façade become the identity of the building and also refer to the name of the city, Addis Ababa, the New Flower. On the ground floor, the skin of the building is transformed into an organically shaped pergola covering semi-outdoor spaces and the entrance of the building.

The building’s program is for medium-stay flats, with hotel services, such as a restaurant and bar on the ground floor, meeting rooms on the first floor, a health centre on the second floor and a private social club on the last two floors. 

The whole building incorporates the semi-outdoor spaces as an essential part of its architecture. On the ground floor the restaurant extends into the private gardens, all the flats have a private corner terrace and the social club continues with the rooftop, which contains meeting areas and two swimming pools with panoramic views of the city and Mount Entoto.

The interiors of the residences combine the exposed concrete of the structure with locally sourced noble materials such as stone and bamboo. Pieces by local artists have also been incorporated into the residences and common spaces.

The façade of the building is modelled using fractal geometry from an abstraction of the building’s plan, and like nature itself, the small parts of the building resemble the large ones. 

In short, the new building combines functionality with symbolism, so that in a city where construction is proceeding at great speed, the project grows out of local culture and resources, so that its architecture becomes part of the community and its environment.

Credits:
Lead Architect: Vilalta Studio
Director: Xavier Vilalta 
Project Leaders: Dolors Ollero, Vincenzo Fernandes
Project Team: Larisa Astancai, Theodoros Mavroeidis,  Federico Melis, Magdalena Mikolajuk, Valentin Lagarde, Anna Kalvatn, Ghalia Lazrak 
Local Architect:  ATK Building Investments
Structural engineering: Michael Kebede
Electrical engineering:  Fastek Consult
Mechanical engineering: Worede Melaku