Awash Insurance Company

Competition entry

The design of the building for Awash Insurance Company in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is inspired by the Awash River in northern Ethiopia.

Both the undulating torsion moving upwards from the front façade across the left side of the 105m high tower and a sweep visible from the side between the building sections are reminiscent of a river meandering over or through the building sections.

The 53 floors of the tower are mainly office space. The offices of the AIC board of directors and CEOs are located on the top floors. In addition, there is a sky lobby with a magnificent view of the city, a lounge, meeting rooms and a restaurant.

The panoramic glass elevators on the west side of the tower provide access to the individual office floors. During the elevator ride, one can enjoy an unobstructed view over the roof of the mall to the city center through the glass. Each elevator ride becomes an experience when the car "breaks through" the ceiling of the mall and one rides along the tower into the sky.

In the podium, a shopping mall extends over three floors. In its center is a spacious atrium that connects the floors into one open space. All around are a large supermarket, a clinic, a bank, a food court, and various stores and cafes. The last floor of the podium is the conference floor, which extends into the smaller, balancing volume. The other floors of the smaller volume house a restaurant, library and gym.

Metallic blue iridescent vertical louvers reinforce the twist on the tower and emphasize the design, which is reminiscent of water.

Its curtain wall, fully glazed facade gives the tower a unified, light effect. Prominent colored vertical profiles are arranged in a running pattern. They give the tower a changing appearance as you pass by and, moreover, can be illuminated at night.