More commercially successful and culturally relevant than the city’s globalstyle all-glazed shopping malls with their oversized, heat-absorbing units, this mall combines contemporary design with traditional market principles and local character. Pedestrian flow between the two corner entrances links two parallel streets, and the inclined atrium continues the diagonal, bringing in natural light. The skin offers passive ventilation and sun protection, its openings – some with coloured glass – forming a fractal pattern typical of Ethiopian fabrics. There are 316 small shop units, and cafés ranged through open areas inside and on the roof provide public space on a dense plot. Rooftop photovoltaic panels guarantee electricity during almost-daily

outages, while rainwater is collected for use in washrooms.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture