Oualalou+Choi, an architecture firm based in Paris and Casablanca, recently shared with us images of their Zoo habitat project in Rabat, Morocco.
The project involves the development of a 10 storey residential ‘superblock’ comprising 113 units with a built up area of 28 500 sqm. The block which is part of a larger urban renewal project was completed in 2016 and cost about € 17 000 000. Within the urban project proposed by OUALALOU+CHOI on the previous site of the city zoo, this housing project is the first of several large “superblocks” to be developed on the site.
Each building block harbors a portion of the greater park within its perimeter. Thus, the blocks collectively de-urbanize the site by creating extremely large parks within the boundaries defined by the buildings. On the street side, the buildings present urban facades which distinguish one building from another in a vertical rhythm along the street.
Continuous galleries on the ground level and a series of penthouses on the roof level establish a consistent urban profile. On the garden side, the buildings present a coherent language which unifies all the volumes into one harmonious background for the large communal park.
PROJECT DETAILS
- Client: Prestigia
- Site: Rabat , Morocco
- Size: 28 500 m 2 / Budge t: 17 m€
- Completion: 2016
