Projectshowcase
PANORAMIC LIVING
SPARK ARCHITECTS SHOWCASE RAMZI TOWERS, SET IN THE HEART OF VICTORIA ISLAND THE RESIDENTIAL TOWER BOASTS STUNNING VIEWS AND INTELLIGENT DESIGNS
THIS LANDMARK SCHEME, DESIGNED FROM SPARK’S LONDON STUDIO, IS SPARK’S FIRST SIGNIFICANT PROJECT IN AFRICA AND IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION IN THE SUMMER.
SPARK, as part of a leading international design team is set to deliver its first significant project in Africa for Nigerian Client Athena Capital Ltd. Ramzi Towers, in Lagos, seeks to set a new standard for luxury contemporary living in this powerful African Economy whose growth is attracting significant global investment. SPARK was introduced to Athena Capital Investment in the UK eight years ago with a view to undertaking a masterplan in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. This project didn’t go ahead; however, SPARK kept in touch with the client, and in December 2012 was offered the opportunity to pitch for Ramzi Towers, in
28 Architects Choice July 2014
competition with some American architects. Designed by SPARK, engineered by Battle McCarthy and project managed by WT Partnership, Ramzi Towers is situated in the heart of exclusive Victoria Island. This unique 18 storey structure is designed to give 360 degree panoramic views from 5 Cowries Creek and the Lagoon beyond, to downtown Lagos and across the Gulf of Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean.
The brief was to design a residential building that targeted a specific number of units on the plot ratio provided. Apart from these constraints, SPARK had complete flexibility with its design, though the client had a clear aspiration to deliver a project that would help redefine architectural ambition in Lagos. Ultimately, SPARK’s contribution supports the client to realise its vision as part of a new generation of Nigerian developers seeking to re-establish outstanding architecture as a vital
framework for sustainable growth in a fast moving economy. SPARK has designed a uniquely African solution, which responds to local climatic, social, financial and cultural drivers. Ramzi Towers’ sprayed concrete curved shells provide structure, water-proofing, air- tightness, fire protection and solar protection in a single solution, while being sculpted to minimise wind resistance and to provide a curvaceous African response to the global vernacular. This sprayed concrete process was selected and advanced to minimise costs and build- time while providing limitless formal freedom to the design process. The Architects and Engineers have chosen the development of this simple on-site fabrication method against the backdrop of a local Contracting tradition that is not explicitly ‘high-tech’. As such, the building process is appropriate and
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