The Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City is located in an area populated by several major embassies, including Germany and the United Kingdom. Several of Accra’s upscale hotels and Ghanaian administrative offices are located nearby. Thus, the architecture of the hotel needed to meet the standards of a Western government building with a focus on security.
Page worked with the Kempinski Middle East and Africa Team to ensure the design met the expectations of the Kempinski brand. The project team integrated the multiple programs of the hotel and retail complex located across the street from the property. Page led the conceptual design, schematic design and design development teams and coordinated quality control throughout the construction documentation. Page collaborated with Looney & Associates who provided interior design services for the hotel.
At the heart of Accra’s thriving cultural scene, the seven-floor Kempinski opened with 269 rooms, including 22 luxury suites and two presidential suites. It also houses expansive meeting and event spaces, an in-house art gallery, a spa and fitness facilities as well as a shopping mall and car park adjacent to the property. The intent was to design an anchor of quality in Accra that would serve as a landmark for the city. It introduces European luxury while staying true to Ghanaian culture.
The hotel is based on the traditional Ghanaian compound style of housing. The central courtyard, surrounded by the guest room wing and the rooftop pool deck, forms the organizing element of the hotel. In the same way that a courtyard in a Ghanaian house is an urban retreat for music, cooking, and religious expression, the Kempinski’s central courtyard is the heart of the hotel. A green roof and pool deck over the lobby and the ballroom overlook the central courtyard. Connecting these spaces together is the Butterfly Building, named for its butterfly-shaped roof.
The project extends across the street to the Galleria Mall, Kempinski’s own shopping center, which has a food hall inspired by traditional Ghanaian markets that includes the latest modern innovations. Page designed 19,700 square feet of high-end retail and commercial office space with substantial underground parking to house a carefully selected tenant mix of both local favorites and premium international brands that opened flagship stores for the first time in Ghana.
Media
Kempinski Gold Coast City Accra Sleeper Magazine, November/December 2012, p.12
