Strategically situated at the busy intersection of the Kanda Highway and Castle Road, and visible from all cardinal points, the SU Tower in Accra, Ghana is designed to respond to a circular site, while transforming a traditional box tower into an architectural landmark in the area.
Taking into account town planning guidelines the building, designed by Boogertman+Partners, was pulled to the back of the site, with floor plates optimised to the main intersection. This allowed for external parking, arrival landscaping and an entrance befitting its stature and upmarket address, while providing a gradual transition between the building edge and adjacent public transport network. Eye catching and striking, the entrance façade itself is faceted in separate and distinguishable layers emulating local textile textures. The delicate parting lines and angled mirrors emphasise the prominence of the corner of the building whilst drawing the eye upwards, accentuating the buildings stature.
The glazed façade draws inspiration from the richness of Ghanaian textures and patterns in a subtle play of nine different shades of glass. This variation of colours is carried through in the concrete panels along the secondary façade of the parking podium. The roof of the parking podium has been converted into outdoor space using Astroturf – a synthetic grass like material that is known for its cooling properties and in addition requires no water, which makes it ideal for the harsh sunny climate where water resources are scarce. The architectural geometry inherent in the building’s design is continued outside to create shaded seating areas and breakaway spaces.
Boogertman+Partners Director, Anton Koekemoer, notes that the lighting brief for the SU Tower had to be low energy and low maintenance. The office spaces had to provide a minimum lux level of 400 lux at 700 mm above floor level.
“It was also requested that the façade feature be enhanced at night time with lighting elements to make the building more prominent,” he says. “We used, for the first time, a rubber enclosed LED light strip on the façade which provided us with a weather- and bug-proof, flexible fitting which enabled us to follow the angles of the façade. This provided a neon-like light glow without the hassles of using real neon tubes.”
In terms of natural lighting, he notes that the office floor plates were kept to a minimum depth to optimise the glass façade’s natural light. “I think we achieved our goal of creating an impressive looking building during day and night time as lighting in a commercial environment plays a huge role in enhancing the building’s feature and stature after sunset. We also achieved the required energy savings by using LED lights throughout the building,” says Koekemoer.
Facilities
The ground floor of SU Tower operates as the building’s main entrance opening up to over 700 m2 of retail space with restaurants, cafés and shops, including a bookstore. Four lifts connect the parking levels to nine floors of office space, spanning 10 000 m2, with each floor designed to accommodate up to six tenants. With unpredictable local services, the basement holds a sewerage treatment plant that feeds a 260 000 litre on-site water storage tank, ensuring fresh water is always available. Rising up, the SU Tower stands out, a glimmering beacon of prestige and prominence, mirroring its location by day and lighting up the skyline at night.
PROJECT TEAM
DEVELOPER: Eris SA/Ghana
ARCHITECTS: Boogertman+Partners
PARTNER ARCHITECT: Multicad
PROJECT MANAGERS: GHC Africa
QUANTITY SURVEYOR: Del QS
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS: CKR Electrical consultants and Lambert Electromec
