Ever wondered if Africa could have its own Silicon Valley? where Technology is nurtured and developed indigenously? Well, a certain someone is Ghana is way ahead a’ya.
Roland Agambire, CEO of RLG Communications, has a vision to build an ultra-modern, hi-tech city as an international hub for technology in Ghana. Poetically enough, its called HOPE CITY.
Currently underway in a suburb of Accra known as the PramPram, Hope City is estimated to be a $10 Billion project that will provide work for 50,000 people and host about 25, 000 residents. Rising from a 100,000 sqm worth of land, the 3 year timeline ‘hopes’ to put up what will be one of the most iconic structures on the African Continent.
A unique design was delivered by OBR (Open Building Research) Architects. Inspired by the communal living of traditional compounds with mud and thatched huts, the architects created cluster of 6 cylindrical, ‘basket-like’ towers each of varying heights, with a view to replicating that same communal ideology. The tallest of the towers soars to 270m which translates to 75 storeys, (poised to be the tallest in Africa). The next two hit the 216m mark coming to about 60 storeys, while the final three towers all line up at 152 m in height or 42 storeys, still much higher than your average skyscraper in Africa. This cluster of towers form a central Piazza on 3 levels which makes for what may be the social heart of the entire city, while courts and gardens, provide relaxation and social melting pots within the cluster. The towers are also linked together by a system of bridges at different levels that accomodate common activities and amenities. This also helps create interconnectivity of building functions, be they public or private. All of this is geared towards creating a very effective urban fabric that bolsters the relationship between people as they innovate together within this vertical city as opposed to a series of seperated skyscrapers that would alienate one from the other.
With LEED certification within its sights, Hope City is looking to be the region’s first Green Building, boasting of all the bells and whistles with regard renewable and alternative energy for its Tech product factories, Hospital and technology university. You would also find offices and residences that provide a work and live environment, not compromising on play with restaurants, theaters and sports facilities.
Hope City is intended to promote communal development and innovation, through its deliberate sense of community and sharing. It is intended to boost Africa’s latent potential in both human and other resources. Its befitting brand has now been supported with befitting architecture with the objective of making this ‘hopeful’ aspiration a prominent location on the African Continent.
