Abidjan's Modernist Architecture: La Pyramide, Hôtel Ivoire and the 1960s–70s

Walk through Plateau, Abidjan's business district, and you will see boldly shaped concrete buildings born of the construction boom that followed independence in 1960 in Côte d'Ivoire (in West Africa, French-speaking, the world's largest cocoa producer). In recent years the international architecture world has rediscovered the buildings of this period, offering another way to understand the city.

The experimental years after independence

An ArchDaily feature notes that Côte d'Ivoire enjoyed a flourishing of modern architecture after independence in 1960. In the 1960s and 70s the whole of Africa was in an era of architectural experimentation, and Côte d'Ivoire produced many new works during this period, when it was also becoming one of the more prosperous countries in West Africa.

The international reappraisal of these buildings can be traced back to the 2015 exhibition "Architecture of Independence – African Modernism" at Germany's Vitra Design Museum. The exhibition opened in February 2015 at the Vitra Design Museum Gallery in Weil am Rhein, Germany. Curated by Swiss architect Manuel Herz, the research presented more than 80 buildings in Ghana, Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire, Zambia and Senegal and was accompanied by a book of around 700 pages.

La Pyramide: bringing the market into a tower

La Pyramide, in the Plateau district, was designed by Italian architect Rinaldo Olivieri and completed in 1973. It takes the form of a concrete pyramid, with tiers of horizontal balconies stacked on a square base, rising about 15 storeys above ground. Olivieri wanted to recreate the bustle of an African market in an urban setting, so the lower levels were planned for shops and boutiques, while the pyramid above housed apartments, whose residents at the time included expatriates and the local upper-middle class.

Once a symbol of the prosperous 1970s, the building gradually fell empty and into disrepair. In 2011 the government announced a full renovation through a public–private partnership, with an estimated budget of around 18 billion CFA francs, but the plan was not carried out straight away. In 2023 the "Pyramid 2023" project, led by Ivorian art director Lemon Otto, invited local and international artists to paint large, colourful murals on its facades; the construction minister said at the time that the structure was in good condition and that any refurbishment must preserve the original architectural design.

Hôtel Ivoire: the white tower of the early independence years

Hôtel Ivoire in Abidjan was designed by Heinz Fenchel and Thomas Leitersdorf and built in stages between 1962 and 1970. Centred on a white tower, it combines hotel and conference-centre functions. Its construction spanned the first decade after independence and, like La Pyramide, it features in international overviews of Côte d'Ivoire's modern architecture.

After modernism: climate and local materials

The same ArchDaily feature also presents the work of the contemporary Ivorian practice Koffi & Diabaté, which can be seen as a continuation of this modern architectural lineage. Their gymnasium for the Lycée Blaise Pascal, for example, uses a perforated metal facade to provide shade and encourage natural ventilation, so that the interior needs no air conditioning; the Bamboo Pavilion house uses bamboo screens and sliding glass doors so the interior can open fully onto the surrounding landscape; and their church in Assinie-Mafia likewise emphasises natural ventilation and was built with the participation of local residents.

From the concrete landmarks of the 1970s to today's designs focused on shade, ventilation and local materials, Abidjan shows how architects have responded to the demands of a tropical climate and urban life.

One line for Asian readers

If architecture interests you, add these two buildings to your Abidjan itinerary; before photographing them or going inside, check whether they are open to visitors and respect the residents and owners.

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References: ArchDaily – Côte d'Ivoire: Modern Architecture Along Africa's Ivory Coast; Hyperallergic – Africa's Overlooked Modernist Architecture (2015); Wikipedia – La Pyramide (building); Oman Observer – Artists give new life to Ivory Coast's neglected 'Pyramid' (2023)