A Nautical Complex in Wouri river

Ecole Africaine des Métiers d'Architecture et d'Urbanisme (EAMAU) a Lomé (Togo)

Project idea

The objective of the project is to provide a place of entertainment on the banks of the Wouri River, bringing together the inhabitants and visitors of the city, thereby helping to improve its coastal attractiveness. The banks of the Wouri and its estuary run for approximately 60 km along the urbanized part of the city. Despite this enormous natural potential, the city does not have any specific benchmark development that meets the requirements of tourist attractions and maritime pleasure.

Project description

Imagine a place like an open-air museum where culture and modernity are constantly mixing, this is the common thread of our project. The nautical leisure associated with traditional activities will revive the banks of the Wouri river. We want this project to be a reflection of traditional Cameroonian cultures, and also to take into account contemporary trends in the design of spaces dedicated to nautical leisure. Restoring a new image to the bank will be an essential factor in the development of the city.
The site thus organized has four major major areas.
- Parking and floating restaurant: positioned south of the project site, with special access dedicated to them for equitable management of the different flows.
- The aqua-play center: positioned in the central axis of the project with outdoor pools and beaches to amaze the visitor.
- The nautical base: its positioning is axial in order to optimize the effect of sea currents and take advantage of cyclonic movements of air masses.
- The Cultural Park: the green lung of the project, the cultural park is developing throughout the northern part of the site for harmony with the plant life already present on the site.
The project is inspired by the principles of nature and cultural aspects of the SAWA people, the water peoples of the region. The development of this architecture requires a modern sense of the philosophical approach and the various elements of synthesis that emerge.
We take inspiration in turn:
• The tam-tam, its forms, its curves and its monumentality;
• The canoe, the main traditional link between land and sea;
• Sheets, covering and protective elements;
• The Sawa broom, a decorative and decorative element.
In order to propose a project that coexists with its natural environment and local practices, we adopt an approach that integrates:
• An ecological and sustainable approach
• The flexibility and lightness of the architecture
• A poetic architecture

Technical information

The materials used in the project are concrete for the structure, walls made of wood panels, bamboo, straw and aluminum. For the floating platform, we used plastic drums as a float to reduce the ecological footprint on the marine environment.

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