Plans have been announced for the construction of the Palm Exotijca, soon to be the tallest skyscraper in Kenya, and in Africa too. The building will be constructed at Watamu beach in Malindi in Kilifi County.
It will be 61-storeys and be used for multiple purposes, from business to leisure.
Design and Construction
The Palm Exotijca has been designed by Rome-based architect Lorenzo Pagnini, who used traditional art as his inspiration.
The tower is designed to be eco-friendly, to have organic cultural motifs, and to offer a holistic experience to the traveller who is “looking for the finer things in life.” It will offer views across the stunning Malindi Marine National Park, and is expected to boost luxury tourism in the region.
The construction of the tower has been financed by Italian billionaire Franco Rosso, along with investors from the USA and South Africa. It will cost multiple billion shillings to build. No start date has yet been given for the tower’s construction.
Multi-Purpose Project
The Palm Exotijca will offer multiple facilities within its walls, from luxury accommodation to business spaces and extensive leisure complexes. Inside the Palm Exotijca there will be:
A luxury hotel with 270 rooms. The hotel will be operated by a well-established 5* international chain.
180 luxury serviced residencies, including studios, presidential suites, penthouse and sky apartments. Residencies include floor-to-ceiling windows and expansive balconies to offer views over the Indian Ocean and tropical forests. Each apartment comes with modern appliances and exquisite furniture.
The tower has ample office spaces and a convention centre, and covers meetings, incentives, conventions and events (MICE). It also has a VIP lounge, cyber centre, observatory and exhibition space.
Palm Exotijca will have its own casino, which will be open 24 hours a day. This is a common trend for most prolific skyscrapers.
Take the Grand Lisboa, which was the first in Macau to hold Texas Hold ‘em tournaments, and hosts the APPT, a series of events which has been full of unforgettable moments since its start in 2007. Palm Exotijca joins the list of towers offering casino gaming.
Aside from casinos, Palm Exotijca will have a number of impressive leisure facilities, including nightclubs, a retail mall, restaurants, theatre and cinema, gym and fitness centre, wellness and spa, and a play area.
Boost Local economy
A a move aimed to boost local economy Palm Exotica plans to source cement locally from Bamburi and Mombasa Cement factories.
“Reinforcement steel will be sourced from Apex, Prime, Athi and Tononoka factories all operating in the Coastal region but structural steel will have to be imported since no factory locally produces the required sizes,” the firm said.
It has identified source of all its ballast needs within Jaribuni in Kilifi while sand will be bought from dealers within Mjana Heri past Malindi township.
While machine cut stones will be sourced from Tezo in Kilifi, glass and their accessories meant for the façade will be bought from France-based Saint-Gobain. Aluminum products will come in from Norsk Hydro ASA based in Norway.
Custom built furniture and interior fittings will be imported through Luxury Living Group but will be assembled locally.
Will Palm Exotijca Be the Tallest In Africa?
Palm Exotijca, once built, will be 61-storeys and around 370m in height. How does this stack up against Kenya and Africa’s tallest buildings?
Kenya’s tallest building is currently the Britam Towers in Nairobi, which stand at 195 metres. This is a commercial building with 32 usable floors, and is the headquarters for the company of the same name, Britam. Palm Exotijca will dwarf this construction by another 175 metres.
The tallest building in the whole of Africa is currently the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is home to offices and shops, and stands at 223 metres in height. Once the Palm Exotijca is built, it will be much taller than the Carlton.
In terms of height, Palm Exotijca faces its toughest competition from rival buildings that have yet to be constructed.
The largest of The Pinnacle twin glass towers will stand at 300 metres upon completion, which is still 70 metres short of the Palm Exotijca’s planned height.
The Nile Tower is also expected to be built soon following extensive delays, and will be 70-storeys high upon completion, potentially taking Palm Exotijca’s place as the tallest building in Africa.
The Palm Exotijca is a huge development in the Malindi, and should bring international tourism to the region. The tower will include business space, high-class residential apartments, hotel rooms and leisure amenities.
It is set to become the tallest building in Africa by far, though future developments may bring even taller buildings to the continent. Construction dates are yet to be released, so interested readers should keep an eye out for developments.