African Design Magazine June 2016 | Page 39

African project Maisons Du Zoo – Morocco Lacking hierarchy, surrounded by roads, and disconnected from its surroundings, this conventional high-density perimeter block is blind both to the unique identity of its site and its relationship to the city. This project on the site of Rabat’s former zoo in Morocco seeks to do the opposite: to redefine the neighborhood’s distinct identity and to create a centrality at the scale of the city. A DISTINCT IDENTITY T he project creates a series of open garden blocks which accommodate the required densities without resorting to the ultra-urbanity of the existing project, presenting a park-like experience within the landscape of the former zoo. Within the urban project proposed by OUALALOU+CHOI on the previous site of the city zoo, this housing project is the first of several large ‘park blocks’ to be developed on the site. Each building block harbors a portion of the greater park within its perimeter. Thus, the blocks collectively de-urbanize the site by creating extremely large parks within the boundaries defined by the buildings. On one side, the buildings present urban façades which distinguish one building from another in africandesignmagazine.com 39