A mixed-use development that will also house Chinese news agency Xinhua, is gearing up for completion. The Xinhua Tower is set to be completed in February 2018.
The 16-storey building is the first purpose built office block of Xinhua News Agency, outside of its headquarters in Beijing, China indicating the Asian giant’s growing interest in the continent and the desire to tell the African story better.
Located on George Padmore Road in Nairobi’s Kilimani area, the office block will feature;dining room with kitchen, outdoor dining area and rooftop restaurant, Roof terrace,Conference/Exhibition room,Executive Lounge, a Library, two open-plan office spaces, 30 offices, 24 studio units and 36 bedroom units.
The complex will also have facilities for indoor games as well as a badminton court, swimming pool and gymnasium.
A total of 60 parking spaces have been provided, with 53 located in the basement and the rest on the surface. There will be four elevators, a standby generator and a borehole.
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The Xinhua Tower will largely be a green building that will feature grey water recycling, solar reducing plants, rainwater harvesting and LED lighting.
“There will be natural temperature control with the main spaces facing North-South for maximum light while minimizing latent heat from the sun. All East-West facing facades have sunshades,” says Architect Kihara Mungai of Tectura International.
The building will also house the Chinese Global Television Network (CGTN), which also has its Africa base in Nairobi.
China is increasingly expanding its portfolio in Kenya with mega projects currently under construction. Manufacturing giant Avic International is putting up its a Ksh9.6 billion building that will serve as its African headquarters.
Chinese conglomerate China Wu Yi, is also finalizing the construction of a construction material complex in Athi River. The complex will comprise an exhibition area, office block, dormitory, service block, building material supermarket and a hotel.
A Chinese contractor is also responsible for the construction of Kenya’s SGR project connecting the Coastal town of Mombasa and the capital Nairobi. The second phase of the project from Nairobi to Naivasha town has already begun.