Turkana Building

The building for the headquarters of Elmi Olindo Contractors Plc is situated on a square lot between two pre-existing buildings. The outcome for such a regular space is a compact volume, which is purposely counter-balanced by a dynamic characterization of the two main elevations.

The façade unwinds, like a ribbon, creating a second layer that wraps around the central body of the building. The result is a sculptural façade, in which the volumes that emerge or retract form pleasant plays of light and shadow.

The first and second floors house the offices; here the façade detaches itself from the main core, creating balconies as a shield from solar radiation. On the two upper floors, where the guesthouse apartments are located, the ribbon loosens, stretching over the entire width of the building.

The use of contrasting shades, warmer and brighter for the ribbon and darker for the central volume, accentuates the distinction between the two different levels of the façade.