13 Jul 2018
Nairobi’s The Beacon set to be Alsop’s only African foray
BY Luke Cloherty
Planning permission has been granted to architects All Design for one of the late Will Alsop’s final creations before his death in May 2018, which will be a gregarious shopping centre and office development in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Beacon will be the only African project produced by the legendary British architect and will carry all of the outlandish hallmarks typical of his work.
The new open-air development will feature 24,300sq m (261,000sq ft) of retail and food and beverage space, as well as a 4,200sq m (45,200sq ft), seven-storey office tower overlooking the shopping centre’s roof garden and bar.
The retail space itself will represent a ‘sweet factory’ theme with some details commissioned by “local craftspeople and artisans as well as those using the latest manufactured materials and technology”, according to a release from All Design.
“The Beacon is intended to bring delight to locals and tourists; the vivid colours and striking patterns of the façade will hint at the amusements and leisure facilities inside,” said the architects.
Some of the other leftfield features of the complex will be a light monorail with ‘jellybean’ style carriages and a ‘helter-skelter’ piano staircase and merry-go-round.
The main façade will be clad in monochromatic porcelain panels that will be broken by a red ‘leisure box’, while a thatched rooftop restaurant and solid surface clad bar will sit on top of its biodiverse brown roof. Inside, meanwhile, the walkways will be sheltered from seasonal rain and sun by solar fabric canopies.
The complex will be located between Nairobi’s central business district, its industrial area and the Upper Hill financial district and the project will be developed by Kiloran. Completion is expected for Q2/Q3 2020.
Marcos Rosello, co-founder of All Design, said: “We were intrigued by Kiloran’s ideas for this mall in Nairobi and were pleased to be able create an open-air mall with a focus on sustainability, fun and family which we believe to be key drivers on future international mall design.”
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