Longtime readers may remember NLÉ’s floating school, which was completed in 2013. The firm, led by Nigerian architect Kunlé Adeyemi, is now working on another floating architecture project with a very similar design that will serve as a music and cultural venue.
The Floating Music Hub is currently under construction in Mindelo, São Vicente, Cape Verde, an African island country in the Atlantic Ocean.
The project consists of three floating A-frame buildings of varying size. Once complete, the three buildings will host a multipurpose performance hall, a professional recording studio, and a bar. They are centered around a triangular floating public plaza that's connected to the shore by a long walkway and will be used to promote music, dance, and art celebrating African culture.
Structurally, it's based on NLÉ’s own Makoko Floating System (MFS) which is a prefabricated construction system. It's actually an improved version of the system used to create the Makoko Floating School which eventually collapsed (the firm says it considered that building an early prototype with a short lifespan).
Early renders of the project depict the Floating Music Hub with solar panels on the roofs, while a battery system and composting toilets are a possibility, though not confirmed. We've also no information on how exactly the project floats, but previous works by the firm have made use of inexpensive plastic drums for buoyancy.
The Floating Music Hub is due for completion in December and is being created in collaboration with ADS Cabo Verde, with the Enapor Port Authority of Cape Verde. JMP, CFA, SINA, Aecom, Aister, and KRJS are also all involved.
Source: NLÉ