ARTS AND CULTURAL COMPLEX OF GRAND-BASSAM ( IVORY COAST )

Ecole Africaine des Métiers d'Architecture et d'Urbanisme (EAMAU) a Lomé (Togo)

Project idea

 The background
The cultural economy is probably the least perceptible but one of the most effective and sustainable for social welfare, and at the proximity to the people. Culture, this 4th pillar of sustainable development is a reality of time that is increasingly the focus of debates in our society against the phenomenon of globalization with embarrassing facets.

For Africa, its extraordinary artistic and cultural richness can constitute a pillar of the development of its populations and the development of the cultural sector becoming an engine of social and political change and in favor of democratic governance. The meeting of cultures, their confrontation, and consequently their understanding within societies of a peaceful spirit, once of tolerance towards others. It is probably at the local level, in cities or neighborhoods that culture most clearly stands out as a resource for sustainable development.

Ivory Coast in its cultural policy tries to bring it closer to its people, this leads to putting in place the laws and the means it takes to achieve its purpose.

"A COMPLEX OF ARTS AND CULTURE IN GRAND-BASSAM IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE", such is our project and by extension our response to the dynamics of interest in culture, in the prospects of diversification of the process of national development.

 Philosophy and project concepts
The arts and culture complex of Grand-Bassam as we imagine it is an opportunity for encounters between man and the natural environment or built at first and secondly between man and culture . Starting from the premise that culture can become a strong development point for the African population in general and Ivorian in particular, our project should intrinsically reflect the local culture.
The challenge here is to combine culture and hedonism, the key words of our project. Our architecture is decided to invite the public to a discovery of ineffable experiences. From this come the most culturalist and hedonistic concepts. The bias therefore imposes on us a holistic approach in the sense of the economy, of the culture but also of the physical characters. It also imposes a search for transversality, diversity and extension of otherness, in a city where the tourist has a privileged place in the economy.
Thus, the architecture of the complex will be influenced by the Akan culture, a group of peoples occupying the south-east and the center of the country. Clothing, objects and practices are associated in the search for the qualitative image of the project. Among these traits of culture, one in particular caught our attention "talking drum" or "talking drum".
The talking drum is a strong symbol of Akan culture just like gold. It is an everyday object of the Akans who intervenes as a means of communication, it announces the mourning, the festivities, the arrival of the warriors, the assizes of justice, etc. It comes in many forms and aesthetic aspects. Our project is strongly inspired by the senses, symbols and shapes.
• The meaning and the symbolism: element of communication, reference of the peoples punctuating the social organization, symbol of a traditional hierarchical society
• Shapes: curves with various lines, discreet and harmonious ascending or descending
• Decorations : object often covered with fabric decorations and golden colors of gold elements

Project description

The site of our project is located in the district "MOCKEY Ville extension" near real estate operations "les Rosiers" on the national A100. It is a site of about 6.8 hectares (67889.2 m²) surrounded by four roads including a 40m wide road to the north and the other three 20m wide. Taking into account the natural assets of the site, by analyzing the green fabric, the road network and the architectural composition of the urban surrounding, we manage to implement a bioclimatic architecture that gives buildings natural light, natural ventilation crossing and creating unusual views of the gardens. The position of the building on the site gives it its monumentality in the landscape but also allows to solve the acoustic problems as the noises enter and leave within the complex. The site is designed to create pleasant visual sequences but also to reveal several images of the porous facade of the building as to create an alterity in the plurality of perceptions that we have of the main building. The two buildings have a strong link that puts them in opposition, one with ascending lines and the other with descending lines is the effect of spatial transversality. It is created inside the main building a visitor route around axis of time which guides him to the discovery of works of art in time. All areas of art practiced in Côte d'Ivoire are represented in the complex: visual arts, digital arts, performing arts, photography, literature, culinary arts, modern and traditional music, arts clothing, etc. It is in this diversity of activities that the program of this 28 meter’s building high with 5 floors, offers 3 large exhibition halls (permanent or temporary), two auditoriums, one of 800 seats and the other of 200 seats, workshop rooms, a library, offices for administration, receptions for VIP ... To respond faithfully to the needs of the populations it was necessary to retranscribe these needs into spaces, take into account the human in an architecture is the most important issue.

Technical information

The complex's project uses modern and locally available materials, the second skin of the main building is made of composite steel and describes patterns, while the first is made of concrete and glazing. Teflon is also used as a cover for the atrium of the animation center and for the roof of the large outdoor theater. Green roofs and perforations by skydomes are stepped on the main building whose roof of the last level is metal.