MADWALENI RIVER LODGE
MADWALENI RIVER LODGE Babanango Game Reserve
ARCHITECT , LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT , INTERIOR DESIGN , PROJECT MANAGER & PROCUREMENT Luxury Frontiers
QUANTITY SURVEYOR Theunissen Ducasse
CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS NJV Consulting
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS RWP KZN
MECHANICAL ENGINEERS ODA Design
LANDSCAPE CONSULTANTS Chris Dalzell International
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY Africa Ignite
MAIN CONTRACTOR Town and Country Construction
PHOTOGRAPHY Teagan Cunniffe
Madwaleni River Lodge , a 12-key tented camp , is situated along the White Umfolozi River within Babanango Game Reserve - a culturally rich area in the heart of KwaZulu Natal , South Africa . Once old cattle farms , Babanango Game Reserve boasts rich historical , cultural , and environmental layering . Most recently , the reserve has undergone one of Southern Africa ’ s most ambitious rewilding projects , welcoming back the Big 5 after nearly 150 years . Luxury Frontiers was briefed to design a lodge that celebrates the land ’ s rewilding and rebirth , with tasteful reference to its layered past . Occupying 20,000 hectares of Zulu-seeped history , the design sets out to intricately stitch historical and tribal heritage harmoniously into the natural environment of the White Umfolozi River .
SITE DISCOVERY Luxury Frontiers dedicated several weeks to exploring the endless beauty of the reserve in order to choose the perfect location for Madwaleni River Lodge . The site offers an immersive experience in nature , surrounded by the river , bush , and rolling hills . The remote location of the site presented a logistical challenge , prompting the design team to create a full-scale mock-up of the accommodation tents . Subsequently , an off-site model room was developed to test the form and engineering of the tents before commencing on-site construction . Once the accommodation unit was meticulously perfected off-site , it was constructed
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