Recent news headlines from the African continent show a variety of urgent issues affecting urban centers: severe flooding threatens Kenya's capital, Nairobi; the light rail system in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is faltering after a successful start. Meanwhile, in Egypt's capital, Cairo, new infrastructure and housing expenditures proved too steep and necessitated a government bailout. African cities face a plethora of problems but they also hold the potential to improve countless lives. As South America shares stark similarities in its history with that of Africa, it could provide both a point of reference and a positive example for tackling these concerns at an urban level.
Addis Ababa: The Latest Architecture and News
Lideta Market / Vilalta Studio
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Architects: Vilalta Studio
- Area: 14200 m²
- Year: 2016
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Manufacturers: AE3000, MP Ascensores, Yibel Industrial, PLC
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Professionals: K2N Engineering
United Bank of Addis Ababa Proposal / Söhne & Partner Architects + BET Architects
Designed by Söhne & Partner Architects + BET Architects, their proposal for the
National Stadium and Sports Village / LAVA
LAVA, the Laboratory for Visionary Architecture, and Designsport collaborated with local Ethiopian firm JDAW to win the international architecture competition for a national stadium and sports village, held by the Federal Sport Commission, Ethiopia. Now, football and athletics-loving Ethiopians will have a new FIFA and Olympic-standard 60,000 seat stadium in Addis Ababa thanks to a design that combines local identity with new technology. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Embassy Ethiopia / Bjarne Mastenbroek and Dick Van Gameren
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Architects: Bjarne Mastenbroek and Dick Van Gameren
- Year: 2005
Lideta Mercato / Vilalta Architects
Vilalta Architects unveils the design of a project of a multistory market, Lideta Mercato, in Ethiopia’s capital city Addis Ababa. This project was the result of a winning entry of a pre-qualified competition that is planned to start construction in May 2011.
More on this project after the break.