2016 Lore SmeetLore Smeet - DAR 2050 - Mangrove Park
With its two rainy seasons, delta town Dar es Salaam is regularly threatened by floods. Mangrove and upland forest deforestation, informal building and waste disposal in the floodplains, … only worsen the situation.
By respecting the city’s natural topography, preserving wetland areas and replanting mangroves, the problem transforms into an urban opportunity. Mangrove parks not only provide the city with a unique natural and sustainable layout, but also add breathing space and public meeting places for the community.

This pilotproject of a mangrove park visualizes the positive impact of this new urban layer, in the area of the Kigamboni wetland. The park gets its final form in different phases. It starts with the connection of the inland floodplain to the sea and the installation of the first mangrove nursery zone. A composition of elegant wooden pavilions houses the first nursery, a research and awareness centre and a visitors area with a guest house. In addition, it can also be seen as the main building for the workers from the local community. After the completion of the nursery program, it moves on to a next projectarea and the pavilions will be reactivated with new community programs. In the middle of this hectic city, where the trees grow, attract new birds and innercity wildlife, the wooden structures will become urban refuges, places to meet and relax, but above all, places to raise an awareness of the opportunity of living in harmony with the surroundings.
By replacing the existing housing for basic housing on the edge of the park, new urban structures grow out of the park. So this pilot project could make a start for the future development of the area around the Kigamboni Wetland.

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