XV. Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo — Jessica Duschean
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is also the largest city in Africa. It is situated along the Congo River and is one of the worlds fastest growing mega cities. It is direct adjacent to the capital of the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville. The city occupies an entire province with the most urban area being located on the western side.
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Population:
Urban: 15,628,000 people
Metro: 17,239,463 people
Area:
Urban: 9,965 square km
Population Density:
Urban Average: 1,462 people/km2
Metro Average: 949.7 people/km2
Politics:
The DRC and the city of Kinshasa have a turbulent political past. The Republic of Congo gained independence in 1960 following riots in 1959. The first prime minister was murdered shortly thereafter due to his perceived pro-Soviet leanings. The next prime minister ruled from 1964-1991 and helped the city to grow immensely, although his corruption eventually led to his downfall and set the city and country back immensely. Political corruption continued shortly thereafter with the election of the most recent president, Joseph Kabila in 2001. His contested election and re-election led to large protests and riots that left dozens of people dead.
Most of Kinshasa is located around the central governmental corridor. This corridor is located at the northernmost center on a peninsula close to the river. This district is where all of the political offices are located along with the heart of the city. The Boulevard du 30 Juin connects the main points of the city, including the Texaf Bilembo and the Gare Central. The Texaf Bilembo is the cultural center for Kinshasa and is located at the western end of the Boulevard. The Gare Central (shown in the lower right hand image) is the city central. This is where the main train station and transportation hubs are. This street is a main thorough fare and is also an important political hub. During the protests due to the delay of the 2016 election, this street was completely occupied. It is important to note that it wasn’t until recently that this street was paved and had distinguished lanes. Much of Kinshasa still runs on dirt streets and public transport is not always readily available.
The 24 Communes of Kinshasa
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
J963+64 Kinshasa, Gare de Matete
Democratic Republic of the Congo
This project seeks to create a vertical city that features several different types of units, each with a great amount of flexibility. The site it is located on is near the only train station in the poorest area of the capital city of Kinshasa, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This area is known for its lack of educational facilities, poor construction, lack of infrastructure, and frequent flooding. All of these aspects leave the area to suffer constantly. This project located next to the new train station in the neighborhood hopes to concentrate people and businesses in the most central hub. By creating not only a high number of housing units but also flex units and small business opportunities, it will hopefully allow more people to prosper next to this important new resource. The facade of the building helps to indicate the different uses this project could have, and the floor plans help to highlight the flexibility built into the project. All of these units, both commercial and residential, focus around a central corridor to create a highly dense floor plate that still also allows for green areas and places for communal interaction. The more interior one goes into the project, along with the higher one goes, the more private the utilities become.
Site Plan
Axonometric
Site Statistics
