Burj Zanzibar, a 28-storey apartment tower, will be the tallest timber building in the world at 96 meters high.
Burj Zanzibar: The world’s tallest timber building
Burj Zanzibar, a 28-storey apartment tower designed using hybrid timber technology, aims to be the tallest green building in the world at 96m high. Once realized, Burj Zanzibar will be the tallest timber building in the world and Africa’s first high-rise ever to use this innovative technology. The 86.6 m Ascent Tower in Milwaukee in the US is currently officially certified as the world’s tallest timber hybrid building by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
Africa’s tallest conventional skyscraper is the 385 m Iconic Tower in Egypt, which is still under construction. Tanzania’s tallest skyscraper is the 157 m Ports Authority building in Dar es Salaam. The world’s tallest conventional building is Burj Khalifa in Dubai at 828 m.
Beehive design
The design of the mixed-use apartment and commercial building, in a playful beehive style with breath-taking ocean views, was unveiled to the public in Muscat, Oman at the beginning of October. Dutch-born architect Leander Moons, responsible for the concept, said, “Burj Zanzibar is not just an outstanding building but a new ecosystem for the future of living.”
The tower with 266 residences is to be located in Fumba Town, East Africa’s pioneering eco-town developed by German-led engineering firm CPS. Categorized as a strategic investment and fully supported by the Zanzibar government, the growing city near the capital, where foreigners are allowed to buy, stretches along a 1.5 km seashore on the southwest coast.
“Burj Zanzibar will be the highlight and natural continuation of our efforts to provide sustainable housing in Africa, thereby empowering local employment and businesses,” said CPS CEO Sebastian Dietzold.
Burj Zanzibar is planned as a hybrid timber tower. A steel-reinforced concrete core will meet all required fire and life safety standards. The project is to be executed by a consortium of leading specialists from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, South Africa, Tanzania and the US.
Green elements
“Green roof gardens and planted balconies further reduce the carbon footprint of the building. Burj Zanzibar will be a widely visible new landmark for Zanzibar and beyond, not only because of its appearance, but because of its construction method,” said Moons.
Representing a young, vibrant and most of all sustainable lifestyle, the building allocates a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments and deluxe penthouses. The elegant tower stands on a terraced podium with shared and private gardens, shops and a common pool.
Unit prices
Unit sizes range from studios starting at USD 79,900 to a vast penthouse with a private pool on the 26th floor at USD 950,880. “As a global architectural highlight, Burj Zanzibar will set a new benchmark of building in the 21st century,” said Dietzold.
With turquoise seas, white sandy beaches and a UNESCO-protected historic Stone Town, Zanzibar recorded 15% annual growth in tourism in recent years and 6.8% economic growth. Earlier this year, the semi-autonomous archipelago, 35 km off the coast of Tanzania, stretched its wings also into another direction, launching an initiative to attract African tech companies with a total worth of USD 6 billion.
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