“[Burj Zanzibar] will support the tourism sector as the Burj Zanzibar will be an architectural landmark attracting visitors and will complement [Zanzibar’s] Stone Town as a World Heritage Site.”
By Inaara Gangji
The Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar aims high with plans for a 28-story, 96-meter tall apartment tower named Burj Zanzibar, designed in hybrid timber technology that its developers say will make it the first timber structure of its kind in the world.
The project, expected to be completed at the end of 2026, is to be located in Fumba Town, an eco-town developed by German-led engineering firm CPS.
Why timber? It reduces the carbon footprint.
“Burj Zanzibar promotes the use of timber for construction and contributes to the development of the local value chain using widely available timber resources in Tanzania,” says the project’s Dutch-born architect, Leander Moons, to FORBES AFRICA.
When complete, it’s expected to overtake the 86.6-meter Ascent Tower in Milwaukee, US, recently certified as the world’s tallest timber hybrid building.
“The Burj will create awareness for this new technology and combat carbon emissions from the construction,” says Sebastian Dietzold, CEO of CPS, to FORBES AFRICA.
The project will be executed by specialists from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, South Africa, Tanzania and the US.
“Apart from the materiality, we also included multiple design elements to further address sustainability. This includes passive design, for example, [from the] permanent sun shading provided by the facade to limit heat-gain on the inside, to the integration of roof gardens and planters,” says Moons.
“[Burj Zanzibar] will support the tourism sector as Burj Zanzibar will be an architectural landmark attracting visitors and will complement [Zanzibar’s] Stone Town as a World Heritage Site,” adds Dietzold.
However, the new concept does come with its challenges, being the first of its kind on the continent.
Yet the popularity and fast growth of Fumba Town as an investment opportunity is a possible indication of the increasing demand for more sustainable solutions that also benefit local communities.
“In Africa, over the next 50 years, millions of new homes will need to be built, and it is crucial to reduce carbon emissions from construction,” says Dietzold.
Tanzania’s top skyscraper is the 157-meter Ports Authority building in Dar es Salaam.