Costa Lopes Arq

The Immeuble Congo building is located in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo. Brazzaville is the country’s largest city (some 9 million inhabitants) and is located in the south-east of the country on the northern bank of the River Congo. Opposite it, on the other side of the river, is Kinshasa (the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire). This is one of the few places in the world where two national capitals face each other on opposite banks of a river.

Having the form of a perfect cube measuring 32 x 32 x 32 metres, the building’s programme is a mixture of housing and offices over a total of 8 floors. The plot surface area is 960 sq. m, while the total space is 9 485 sq. m.

The first level (parking, technical areas and stairwells and lift shafts) is semi-subterranean so as to establish a permanent relationship with the exterior surroundings and best rationalise the interior circulation of vehicles and persons. The retail spaces are distributed at the corners and have a double ceiling height allowing for greater exploitation of the space and intensification of the relationship with the exterior.

The residential area faces the river bank, enabling the residents to enjoy the serenity of the river and the proximity to nature. Inversely, the office spaces face the city and airport, creating a more urban and entrepreneurial connection to the surroundings.

Uniting these two distinct areas are the circulation, distribution and technical spaces (which are all shared in order to make the most of the building’s infrastructural and functional elements).
Location

Client
Institutional

GFA
9 485 sq.m