Uzuri Centre

The name of the project comes from the word uzuri - beauty, Ngorongoro ni uzuri - Ngorongoro Crater is beautiful. The main goal of the project is to show people the beauty of nature, bring them closer to the environment and give them a place to contemplate, rest surrounded by nature and admire the magnificent views of the crater. Through celebrating the beauty of natural landscape, we encourage visitors to take care of the environment and preserve it.

At the same time, the building is inspired by traditional African architecture through its shape and details. We wanted to pay respect to the local culture and make sure, that the building fits in the context of the place.

Our building has strong pile foundations that interfere with the existing terrain minimally and are easier to install in this area than a building with a full foundation. In addition, the structure is wooden and uses local types of wood, supporting the local economy and minimizing the need for costly and non-ecological transport of materials.

The idea of dividing the building into 3 smaller ones was created due to the more convenient layout and less interference with the natural landscape. It also creates spaces with smaller scale, that can provide more personal atmosphere. The idea for this building was created at the beginning of our design path and improved over time. The building program is based on the design guidelines for the competition, but we have added a small first aid point, a bathroom with a chemical toilet and a large exhibition and relaxation pavilion which is one of the main points of our project.

The entrance pavilion contains reception and additional space for storage and janitor’s room. It is a starting point, from which we can see our way to the other segments.

The sanitary pavilion combines first aid, chemical toilet and refreshment area. It is an important part, where visitors can take care of their needs and move on to the next segment.

The exhibition & relax pavilion is an open briefing area. It has a large skylight, illuminating its interior and creating a unique atmosphere to calm down and use the shade. There may also be small thematic exhibitions of local art or educational issues about the crater.

In addition, we gave up in a sense the lookout tower because it could disturb the landscape and it would require stronger foundations, which we tried to avoid. Instead of the tower, we have created long platforms that bring the user to a considerable height above the ground and allow a view similar to the lookout tower. Another way to admire the landscape is the viewing amphitheater, which gives you the opportunity to relax with a beautiful view and the option of conducting lessons with a guide in the open air.

The entire building is designed with local wood giving a very specific look and adding a pro-ecological element to our project. Solar panels are mounted on the roofs due to the very convenient location of the crater in terms of sunlight. Roundabouts around buildings provide additional protection against sun and rain, they also collect rainwater used in the center. There is a square between the buildings, which provides a safe area for relaxing in nature, and has a small exhibition of local flora.

During our design process, we also had an idea for further development. Once completed, the project has many options for expansion through a segment (pavilion) structure connected by footbridges, it is easy to add additional segments with additional functions. We hope this place can expand in the future to house new functions, but in a safe for the environment way.

The very important aspect, throughout our design path, was taking care of the natural environment, the context of the place, culture, and adaptation to the climate. Our intention is for man to respect his position in a protected area such as Ngorongoro Crater. It is a place of wonderful nature, where man is a visitor. Therefore, visitors to this place, coming to the Uzuri Center, should adapt to the prevailing conditions. It isn’t correct to destroy a place, so that groups of tourists would feel at home there. They should be provided with a safe space, where they will feel close to nature and at the same time do not threaten it. Our project was created with this in mind - it is supposed to be a window to a wonderful land, a stop where you have the opportunity to experience amazing adventures, and then return to your life, changed forever.