Grand Centre
Kumasi
The GCK — Kumasi, Ghana
Located near the city center of Kumasi, the GCK is envisioned to become a second, new, and dynamic city center. Its appeal is expected to stimulate further urban growth in the immediate vicinity of the GCK. Over time, the GCK could serve as an urban attraction point that encourages the surrounding area's development.
The GCK consists of three main building components, each flexible in size, volume, and position: a shopping center, an office tower, and a hotel tower. The tower heights are also variable, allowing maximum flexibility during the project’s development phase.
Due to the increased risk of flooding in the Kumasi region, the center is elevated one level above the ground. This raised ground floor forms a covered area for individual entrances to the shopping center, hotel, and office spaces, as well as their associated parking areas.
The third floor is defined by a large entertainment, recreation, and fitness area featuring a variety of offerings such as nightclubs, a casino, a cinema, bars, and more.
Acting as a link between the shopping center, offices, and hotel, the rooftop garden serves as an interactive meeting point for all visitors of the GCK. It is a place for relaxation and a venue for open-air events like concerts, dance evenings, or candlelight dinners.
The Hotel Tower:
The hotel lobby is directly connected to the rooftop terrace, where guests can access the lobby, reception, bar, and restaurant. Adjacent to the hotel lounge terrace, guests have direct access to the pool. The GCK towers could also include apartments of varying sizes and configurations.
The central idea is to develop a design that offers a modern interpretation of African traditions, particularly carving. Thus, the building appears as a large sculpture within the Kumasi cityscape, with carved-out areas featuring different types of (green) atriums.
The Atriums and the cooling system
The atriums serve as special spaces within the building. In the shopping mall area, they connect all floors, enabling visual and functional interactions and housing restaurants and cafes. In the towers, atriums are used for facilities such as bars and restaurants (in the hotel tower) and meeting rooms, etc. (in the office tower).
The atriums are enclosed with a glass facade, with shading provided by a light louver structure made of metal or concrete pipes. In addition to passive measures like shading and insulation, air is actively cooled by a solar cooling system.
