October 2020 | Page 14

PROJECTVIEW
PULLMAN ACCRA AIRPORT CITY , GHANA
Designed by Paragon Architects , the 365-key Pullman Accra Airport City Hotel & Serviced Apartments in Accra , Ghana is currently under construction . The 40,000m 2 development is substantial in the context of many African cities and the largest hospitality facility of its kind in Ghana . “ It is hugely ambitious and it has been an incredible privilege to watch it develop and grow ,” comments Project Director Henning Rasmuss . The 13-storey above-ground structure consists of a 219-key business hotel and 149 units of branded serviced apartments , with basement parking for 211 vehicles . The hotel includes a banquet hall for conferencing and events . The lifestyle offering is centred on an open garden terrace with façades that integrate artworks . Inter-Afrique Properties , the client , favoured a clearly sculptural , strong form and colour contrasts and a rooftop entertainment area with an infinity pool . This vision of an after-hours , urban , upmarket lifestyle deck was important . The client ’ s vision is predicated on its objective of delivering a superior hospitality asset that responds to both current and future demands of the market . The client has also driven the interior design vision in conjunction with the team from DIAD . During the lifespan of this project , Paragon itself has designed and completed other smaller and less complex hotel projects in Africa . “ Pullman Accra Airport City is by far our most complex and advanced hotel project to date ,” comments Rasmuss .
DEER PARK PLACE , CAPE TOWN
Developed by Signatura , Deer Park Place is situated in Highlands Estate , high on the rim of Cape Town ’ s City Bowl . This mixed-use development , overlooking Deer Park , will consist of ground floor retail and three residential storeys that will include 24 one , two and three bedroom luxury , sectional title apartments . The apartments range in size from 41m 2 to 119m 2 .
Deer Park Place has been designed by MLB Architects to allow the building to settle into its context , blending with its natural surroundings in a subdued and sensitive way . To acknowledge its spectacular setting , the design concept embodies a continuous band of outward-facing apartments wrapped around a secure , wind-free , covered lightwell . The units of varying sizes and configurations are designed for a compact and sustainable lifestyle with open-plan layouts to the living areas , opening out onto terraces or balconies with unsurpassed views on all sides .
The materiality is modern with a neutral colour scheme complementing the warmer stone elements and landscaped steel pergolas above . Layering is achieved through stone boundary elements , crisp white brick projections offset against deeper shaded walls and varying proportions of glazed elements and horizontal pergolas or vertical screens . The composition of these various interventions provides depth and character to the building while visually fragmenting its scale and form .
Fittings and finishes include SMEG appliances , stone countertop & duco satin-finished cupboards , Keracol-skimmed concrete ceilings with fitted bulkheads and eco-friendly , cost efficient water and LED lighting systems .
14 Project Watch