Brazzaville does not lack architectural icons; whether heritage ones like the train station building, or more contemporary ones like the Elf Tower, based on the imported North American model of building a presence.

Our goal was to design an African project, a building that borrows from its context to give back a doubled effect, bringing in earthy shades and matches the pride and discretion of the people of Brazzaville and the Congo at large.

A project that is anchored in the culture of the country; we wanted want a project that is iconic and contextual at the same time.

An inherent part of the project is the earthy colorful geometric patterns, recurring in traditional artistic production; they echo the richness of the country, in a very spicy and energetic fashion. The neutrality of their line is impressive as it comes from a mathematical source which makes them universal, but it is their composition, their colors, their shades, their variety that made them unique.

The project is developed around the idea of connecting the city to the river while achieving a visibility via the presence of the tower, the masculine representation of presence, of strength, of achievement.

Architecturally, and the idea of the connection is pushed even further to act as a "connection or jumping board linking Brazzaville to the river, and also to extend further to Kinshasa.” The project becomes a hinge, a link, sustaining the continuous flow of energy connecting the two countries.

A mixed use program was the immediate instinctive starting point. Regional financial experts were brought in to analyze the venture that was being developed by our Lebanese team of Architects, Interior architects, specialized engineers, Retail and Mall consultants, and Hospitality and Hotel management consultants, Cinemas Specialists, Traffic specialists and others.

The active dialogue that we spearheaded, lead to a steady and solid refinement of the program which became as follows:

A commercial base housing all types/scales of retail outlets and activities, as well as the base of a tower which houses offices on the lower floors and a hotel on the floors above, topped by a panoramic restaurant and crowned by a rooftop outdoor infinity pool.