PRESS STATEMENT

The emerging Ethiopian Gullele Botanic Garden (GBG) is promoting an architectural and landscape design competition as part of the development process to establish this Botanic Garden, including also an indigenous forest
sanctuary and a scenic mixed forest, in the North West of Addis Ababa.

The Gullele Botanic Garden is an initiative of the Addis Ababa University-Science Faculty and the Addis Ababa City Administration Environmental Protection Authority. The Horn of Africa Regional Environment Programme of the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa, has offered to provide financial support to kick start the development of the Gullele Botanic Garden and to construct the first components of the Horn of Africa Regional Environment Centre (HoA-REC) in the Gullele Botanic Garden. 

The competition is open to landscape designers and architects from all over the world, but participating firms are expected to form an international consortium combining knowledge and expertise from Ethiopia with foreign ideas and skills from other parts of The Horn of Africa and/or elsewhere in the world.

The Gullele Botanic Garden will be realized on a tract of land, approximately 700 hectares in size, straddling the escarpment West of the road to Gojam. The GBG is to be realised in three phases with Phase I and II being the subject of this design competition, which is based on an approved development plan outlining the major components of the GBG.

The design competition covers:              

  • The Botanical Garden sec (of about 50 hectares) including the Menelik memorial eucalyptus forest and the central meeting place of the GBG connected to the botanical garden sec, where a visitors centre and several other facilities will be constructed around an open space where also events can be organised.
  • The Horn of Africa Regional Environment Centre (HoA-REC) of initially about 700 m2.
  • The Southern entrance at the city’s first Ring Road and the entrance at the Northern side on the Gojam road, with parking space outside the GBG and the non-public path connecting the central meeting place (the so called GBG “Meganagna”) with the two main entrances.
  • The Southern “interface area” of the GBG with the city, including running and walking lanes, benches, outdoor sporting facilities; etc.
  • The Gullele eco-village to show innovative environmental technologies from all over The Horn of Africa and elsewhere with accommodation for visitors.
  • An up-market eco-restaurant and luxurious but eco-friendly accommodation with a business centre.. 

The Terms of Reference for the design competition, will be prepared by a professional technical advisor who will also be entrusted to follow up the proceedings, with the support of the GBG Coordinator and the HoA-REC team within the AAU-Science Faculty. 

The AAU-Science Faculty is launching the competition today and intends to announce the awards before the end of February 2008. The design competition has been approved by the Association of Ethiopian Architects. An international jury comprising of highly reputed professionals has been appointed to appraise entries. A total of Birr 250,000.00 (about Euro 25,000) will be paid out to winners.

Registration is now under way in the temporary HoA-REC office in the new AAU-Science Faculty building (6th floor) . The Terms of Reference, including the GBG development plan, will be made public on November 1, 2007 and entries have to be received before January 31, 2008. More information can be obtained via: email gulbotgar@gmail.com;
tel: + 251 913 335964; tel: + 251 913 335965; or the website http://www.aau.edu.et/faculties/sc/design_competition.html