Zanzibar Serena Inn

Located on the seafront of Zanzibar's Stone Town on the Shangani Point, the Zanzibar Serena Inn was created by reconstructing and rehabilitating 2 historic buildings, one of which was once the residence of the British Governor, frequently visited by Livingston, and the other having been the former technical operating centre of the Zanzibar Telecom Cooperation. An under water cable leaves from this point to Dar es Salaam and is still operational. The completed hotel facility now reflects the Arab influence on Zanzibar which was once ruled by people from Muscat and Oman but also from India and many other countries of the world. The facility now has 52 luxury rooms, each with its own private balcony over viewing the Indian Ocean. There is also a sea front restaurant which is directly on the sea wall overlooking a sandy beach.

The main challenge was on the architects to conduct this transformation from 2 very different facilities to one single architectural harmonious unit, reflecting the multi cultural influences reflected throughout the island. The challenge of the Project Managers was to make the facility work according to the client’s expectations; to create an functioning machine similar to a ship, which could operate almost independently from the local infrastructure which at the time of planning and construction was in a dire state. The facility also has a biological sewage plant to avoid contaminating the coral reefs adjacent to the facility.

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