In an era which could be defined by dominant need of representation of the power and by inevitable environmental awareness on the other side, LAVA’s concept for the Oromia Bank Tower in Oromia, Ethiopia brings the promising compromise – it creates an environmentally responsive icon, inspired by the local cultural identity and uses nature’s fluid geometry to be both efficient and beautiful. The façade design references waterfalls, the fine texture of local woven baskets, whilst the rich colors of opals highlight the significance of this national institution.

High-tech methodology of the tower combined with local construction and delivery techniques create a sophisticated tower borne out of a strong sense of place. Simply organized, the sky-scraper consists of an iconic main banking hall on the ground floor with 20 levels of office space above.

More with less has been achieved by the innovative integration of structure and environmental control systems. A façade of external fins controls solar gain and reflects light deep into the floor space, saving energy. The tower’s upper levels step back to give way to a spectacular rooftop cafe, complete with a solar harvesting open-air roof canopy. Optimized site boundaries, maximized plot coverage, adaptability for future proofing and efficient floor plate dimensions all combine to create a tower that is at once iconic, efficient and forecasts a strong future direction for the city.

Oromia Bank Tower project by Laboratory for Visionary Architecture is a competition proposal, done together with JDAW Battle McCarthy Architects.