Architect and Builder November/December 2018 | Page 14

INARA BUSINESS PARK AND GARDENS, LUANDA, ANGOLA
Inara Business Park and Gardens is
located in Talatona, the new financial district
of Luanda, Angola. Situated close to the
HTCC International Conference Centre, it is a
mixed-use scheme of four towers comprising
offices, retail, hotel and apartments. Set on a
prominent arterial, the site enjoys extensive
exposure and a commanding position in its
urban environment. Arranged on a three
level parking and services basement, the
vision for the site creates a triangular shaped
verdantly landscaped forecourt and piazza,
which will ultimately link to the Talatona
Circle. This gives rise to the idea of two
defined urban gardens around which the
buildings are arranged.
The multi-national client, AGE, secured
Standard Bank Angola as the corporate office
anchor and this building over ten levels, will
14
be the bank’s national head office. This is the
fourth head office that has been designed for
Standard Bank by EPA and project managed
by Key Projects. Adjacent to Standard Bank
is the new Saham Insurance Company (now
Sanlam) headquarters. Both buildings are
ten-storey blocks and display a similar
architectural expression, deploying screened
façades, sandstone cladding and attic roofs.
South of this pair of buildings is the
new Hilton Garden Inn which becomes
the centerpiece of the precinct. With 154
rooms, a conference facility and elevated
podium pool terrace, the focus service hotel
will enjoy Hilton’s new branded interior
design. The façade will differentiate from
the office towers being predominately a
glass façade, but will enjoy strong similitudes
with its neighbours. A cantilevered feature
pool forms a novel Porte Cochère amid the
densely landscaped forecourt piazza, which
is shared with a fourth tower block. In this
mixed use block, retail at the piazza activates
the public space and frames access lobbies
to the suite apartments and lettable offices.
Set in a twelve storey tower above, with a
nightclub and terrace on the rooftop, this
building will complete the composition and
display a composite façade, architecturally
counter-pointing its neighbours.
The professional team is drawn from
four different countries and together with
the international Lisbon based contractor,
Casais. The project will be delivered in
two phases over a three year design and
build programme.
Project Completion: April 2020
Project Watch