Kingsway Tower
Kingsway Tower in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria is a landmark mixed-use building set on a prominent corner on Alfred Rewane Road, an arterial road that bisects the city leading north towards the airport and south to the Victoria Island. Designed by South African architects SAOTA, Kingsway Tower is 15 storeys high. It has a basement, a two-level retail podium, a parking podium and 12 office floor levels.
Photography by © Adam Letch
Not only does the design of Kingsway Tower introduce new architectural ideas to Lagos ? the economic centre of Nigeria and one of the fastest growing cities in the world ? but it is also uncompromisingly world-class in its quality and execution, reflecting the importance of this emerging market in a global context. Located in Ikoyi, a prestigious residential neighborhood, Alfred Rewane Road and its surrounds have been rezoned to create a mixed-use corridor, resulting in a boom in office and hotel developments. Much of the development in Lagos, however, has a fairly anonymous character, generally following a standard commercial model with concrete slab and curtain wall facades.
Photography by © Adam Letch
?We wanted to design a building that made direct references to the fact that it was in Lagos, with a façade that responded to the local climatic conditions,? says SAOTA Director Greg Truen, lead architect on the project.
The distinctively swollen, billowing form of the tower subtly references the square sails of the traditional boats on...