House constructed in Côte d'Ivoire, utilizing breeze pavilions, celebrates the essence of outdoor living
In the coastal town of Assinie-Mafia, 80km southeast of Abidjan, the Ebrah Pavilion stands as a testament to the harmonious blend of modern architecture and local craftsmanship. Designed by the Swiss duo Herzog & de Meuron, and completed in 2017, the pavilion has become a beacon for would-be clients in the region.
Guillaume Koffi, who discovered Assinie-Mafia 30 years ago, purchased 5,000 sq m of land there in the 2000s. His first objective was to establish a 'foothold' in the picturesque town for a weekend retreat. Koffi's house, now known as the Ebrah Pavilion, is a collection of four pavilions that extends across the site, showcasing a design philosophy inspired by the modular design philosophy of Mies van der Rohe.
The pavilions are built with a wood frame construction and concrete partition walls, forming cubic spaces. Cross ventilation was integrated by positioning the pavilions to allow the flow of dominant winds. Sliding windows open as wide as two-thirds of the length on either side of the buildings, providing adjustable ventilation. The double roof allows heat to escape, moderating room temperature.
Handcrafted pieces in the pavilions include those made from ebony and iroko. The architects' preferred choice for furniture, doors, shelves, and cabinets is amazakoue. A feature wall in the kitchen is tiled with kpalimé, a brown-beige stone from Togo and Benin. Cream-toned travertine, imported from Italy, was used for the flooring in the open-plan kitchen and lounge.
The Ebrah Pavilion provides six bedrooms, six bathrooms, and various amenities within a garden. Terraces wrap around each pavilion, offering stunning views of Assinie-Mafia's exceptional natural beauty – a lush green forest canopy and 18km of sandy shoreline. Panels were constructed from fraké, a hardwood indigenous to West Africa.
Every room at the Ebrah Pavilion is accessible from the terrace, encouraging an open and informal atmosphere that is conducive to entertaining. A recent addition to the compound is a vegetable garden teeming with produce.
Diabaté, who has also built a holiday home in Assinie-Mafia, defines their ethos as 'informal luxury'. This philosophy is evident in the Ebrah Pavilion, with its modern design DNA, cross ventilation, openness, and terrace. The pavilion's success has led Koffi & Diabaté Architectes to replicate these features in other villas they have developed in Assinie-Mafia.
Koffi is planning to replace the kitchen with a larger space, and a swimming pool and small pavilion containing a lounge, kitchen, bathroom, and gym have already been built. The compound's perimeter walls, built with locally sourced earth compressed into blocks, presented the architects with the opportunity to experiment with rammed earth walls and compressed earth brick.
The Ebrah Pavilion, with its unique blend of modern architecture and local craftsmanship, stands as a testament to Koffi's vision for a weekend retreat that has evolved into a model for sustainable, informal luxury living in Assinie-Mafia.
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