Coast development to boost Swahili architecture, artisans

Sultan Palace Development Ltd has said it will go with Swahili architectural aspects in its upcoming coastal holiday retreat. It has deployed leading coastal craftsman, Said Swabu, and a team of 12 artisans that he has trained in partnership with two Swahili cultural centres based in Mombasa and Lamu, to imprint Swahili designs and skills into the fabric of the new coastal development.

“The incorporation of this ancient craft is geared towards creating a modern fusion of the Swahili Arabic architectural design, giving an authentic yet modern feel, and offering an intimate atmosphere, and seclusion, with a sense of well being,” said Sultan Palace Development General Manager Liu Tiancai. The manager argues that the building techniques are ideally suited to the coastal climate and environment, naturally maintaining cool atmospheres during the hottest periods of the year.

The creativity in the composition of the material being used in the building, which consists of calcium and white cement, is further ensuring an elegant finish.

Function

“Drawing on Swahili artisans in the architectural design will ensure that no one element of the development’s function, comfort, and environmental friendliness is sacrificed, but instead are developed in harmony,” said Tiancai.

Swahili architects, whose skills date back as far as the early 18th Century, are celebrated globally for their intricately carved wooden doors, imposing entrance porches, shady courtyards, magnificent and elegant interiors and beautiful decorative stucco plasterwork. The architectural design is most common in the coastal region and on Swahili buildings, such as mosques.

“It’s quite disturbing that most developers would rather import designs and building materials from western countries than make use of what is locally available. We are slowly killing our own tourism sector as we are not incorporating our own cultures and styles into our developments, hence most tourists visit the country only to find their own cultures. This beats the logic of them visiting the country,” said Mr Swabu.

“The Swahili craft is a skill that has been passed down through generations from fathers to sons. I, however, am not planning to pass the skill to any of my seven sons at a time when the industry is dying,” he said.