[khris]

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German firm to design CBE headquarters in Addis Ababa

Henn Architekten has won first prize in an architectural competition for the construction of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) headquarters in Addis Ababa. Once completed, the 42-storey tower will be the tallest building ever built in Ethiopia.

The firm’s proposal includes, on the longer sides of the slender office tower, a gap in the facade which will reveal the city from a new perspective. The reduced reflection of the glass skin will permit a contrasting glimpse inside the building. This openness will continue to base level, where the entrance area will be revealed. The tower will be accompanied by a conference centre and a shopping mall. The buildings will be clustered around a sunken landscaped plaza.

At the competition awards ceremony, CBE president, Ato Bekalu Zeleke, said: “The construction of the new headquarters building is a gesture of CBE's aspiration to become a world class bank.†A seven-person jury composed of Ethiopians and foreigners in the field selected the winning architectural design from 21 local and foreign contestants that submitted their work.

The skyscraper, due to be built in five years' time, will bring CBE’s now-scattered organs under one roof.

Laura Paton
Editorial

 

[savevp]

Wow. That. In Africa. Again, wow.

 

[Archivist]

Amazing what you can do with mud and wattles these days.

 

[Edward]

The skyscraper, due to be built in five years' time, will bring CBE’s now-scattered organs under one roof.

Organs?

 

[Towered]

Any bets that this will never happen?

 

[Urban Shocker]

Haile Unlikely.

 

[khris]

Off topic, but it would be really awesome if Toronto could get a tall building with vertical lines in it, like this one.

 

[newuser2k9]

I, for one, am surprised. Not only is this sub-Saharan Africa, this is Ethiopia, one of the poorest countries in the region. Then again, maybe the promise of a less tightly regulated banking system is drawing some significant Western money.

Just for some perspective, excepting the towers in South Africa, the only other significant skyscraper in the region is a 33 story tower in Zimbabwe, constructed during the Rhodesia regime.

 

[adma]

Just for some perspective, excepting the towers in South Africa, the only other significant skyscraper in the region is a 33 story tower in Zimbabwe, constructed during the Rhodesia regime.

What about Nairobi?

 

[junctionist]

There's lot of poverty in Africa but it doesn't preclude a tiny elite handling the country's financial industry to build a nice tower.

 

[newuser2k9]

What about Nairobi?

Sorry, I failed to mention Nairobi or Lagos, both regional capitals with fairly built up surroundings and strong banking industries. Their towers aren't as tall as the one in Zimbabwe (they are all under 140 m), but nonetheless my point was that a 40 storey tower in Africa is a big deal.

There's lot of poverty in Africa but it doesn't preclude a tiny elite handling the country's financial industry to build a nice tower.

Urban Africa is a lot different from the stereotypical village Africa. Both have different problems, but there are a few centres on the continent that have almost made it to 'western' standards (comparable to say, Latin America).