Elevator firm Kone wins big order for Nairobi skyscraper

Finnish elevator maker Kone Corporation has won a large order to supply elevators for Global Trade Centre, a Chinese-built mixed-use development in Nairobi, the company said on Thursday.

Under the deal, Kone will equip the development with 35 high-rise elevators travelling at a maximum speed of 6 metres per second, 14 machine-room-less elevators, and a Destination Control System, which will help optimise elevator efficiency and passenger well-being.

“I am proud that Kone was chosen to equip this pioneering development, which is bound to be of great significance to business in the region,” Pierre Liautaud, Kone executive vice president for South Europe, Middle East and Africa said in a statement.

The value of the deal is yet to be disclosed.

GTC, whose construction began in July 2015, is the brainchild of Chinese multinational Avic. It comprises six imposing towers: a 47-level 3A Plus Office Tower, a 35-level hotel tower that will host the US chain JW Marriott hotel and four residential apartment towers of 24 to 28 levels.

On completion in 2020, GTC will stand 185 metres tall, placing it among the loftiest buildings in East Africa. The skyscraper will serve as the Africa hub for Avic International.

READ: Chinese firm’s Sh40 billion Africa hub takes shape in Nairobi

Avic is undertaking the project through its local subsidiary, Avic International Real Estate Kenya, with Zhejiang Chengjian Construction Africa Limited as the main contractor.

Triad Architects and GMP International Architects designed the Sh40 billion project.

Avic International becomes the first Chinese company to set up its Africa headquarters in Kenya, a move that is likely to see more Chinese firms investing into the country.

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