Concept
Touba, located 200km east of Dakar, is the capital of the Mouride brotherhood, and second largest city in the country (after Dakar-Pikine), with 1.5 million inhabitants. The city is experiencing rapid urban growth resulting from decision-making by the religious authorities. The city is now faced with the problem of absorbing and providing satisfactory conditions for the constantly increasing population, as well as welcoming the millions of pilgrims who converge on Touba every year for the Grand Magal.
The Serigne Fallou estate will respond to this need providing housing for almost 30,000 inhabitants on a 300hectare site. An urban organisation is proposed that complies with the particular mode of living of the Mouride brotherhood, and the settlements already present on the site, as well as being respectful of all environmental aspects. The estate should also be potentially reproducible without adverse effects on the environment; a true model of sustainable urban development.
Program
The programme, organized around two centres, includes a mosque, a museum, healthcare, administrative and educational facilities, a market, a shopping centre, a police and fire station, as well as technical facilities such as an electrical substation, sewage works, and garages.
The residential areas comprising over 3,500 homes include 150 luxury villas (surface area between 1000 and 4000m²), 880 high quality villas (surface area 500m²), 2100 medium quality villas (surface area 300m²), and apartments (total of 60000m²)
Furthermore, the project includes office buildings with shops at street level, a business park, an urban park and other green areas (totalling 23 hectares).
Team
Client
– Client: CCBM Holding
Project Team
– Architect: Arte Charpentier Architectes
– Partner: GEMO S.N.C
Project specifics
– City: Touba
– Country: Senegal
– Study: 2009-2010
– Surface area: 300 ha