For reasons of demographics, size of the market and volume of business activities taking place in Nigeria, analysts insist that the country, Africa’s largest economy and the most populous country on the continent, is grossly undersupplied with residential and Grade A commercial real estate.
Unarguably, the two major sub-markets in the country, in terms of high residential and commercial real estate, Ikoyi and Victoria Island in Lagos, have seen substantial developments that are scrambling for the city skyline and competing for the few tenants who can afford the premium rents/prices on demand.
Victoria Island has seen iconic developments such as The Wings Towers which is offering 27,500 square metres, Nestoil Tower, 7,500 square metres, Madina Tower, 8,300 square metres and Civic Centre Towers, 8,096 square metres while Greystone Tower, with its towering height, is next on the queue.
Located in the heart of Victoria Island’s financial district, overlooking the entire district and Ikoyi harbour, right on the corner of Idowu Taylor Street and Engineering Close, Greystone Tower is rising as a world class commercial office building and a striking addition to the city skyline.
The imposing tower which was designed by Majoroh Partnership and is being built by Dori Construction and Engineering Limited is standing on 18-floors and, according to the project managers, it has 5 floors of parking space, a ‘concessionary floor’ with restaurants, café and gym to enhance lifestyle factor in the building.
“This will become a natural focal point in the Victoria Island financial and business district. The elegant lines of Greystone Tower put it in good company with the best buildings within the city. The location alone, alongside Nigeria’s most recognized structures, offers prestige on a global scale”, Udo Okonjo, Vice Chair/CEO, Fine and Country International, explained to BusinessDay.
Fine and Country, the leasing agent on this iconic office complex, is a global real estate brand, specializing in providing premium services through exceptional marketing and professionalism in the upper segment of the real estate market.
Greystone Tower belongs to the league of new office buildings, redefining the Lagos city skyline with its organic and responsive warm clear glass façade. Its structure rises organically with external shading and elegant features offering an inviting and engaging architecture, in contrast to the hardness of its concrete and glass neighbours.
Okonjo noted that amenity was foremost in its conception, from the micro climate at the ground plane to the public space that responds to the blurring of workplace and life. “This new premium grade landmark building embraces innovation and high technology to produce a tower form that is organic and responsive. Automation features throughout the building combine with shading elements and layers of performance glazing to create an advanced environmental skin”, she said.
Internal spaces reflect contemporary thinking for a flexible workplace creating an advanced urban environment in which to work and spectacular view corridors to the Bar Beach, Banana Island and Marina areas. Situated in Nigeria’s leading business and cultural precinct – Victoria Island in the heart of the city, Greystone Tower is minutes away from all transport hubs.
The form of this Tower is derived from the overlapping intersection of two carefully proportioned rectangles and a simple rectilinear core. The rectangular form has been developed to capture the unique primary view corridors with each corner offering a primary point of generation or ‘center point’.
In the Southern corners the center points are directly related to the significant views towards the Bar Beach and the views around the abundant water surrounding Victoria Island including the Marina downtown areas. The northern corners point towards Ikoyi and the waterway separating Victoria Island with views of Civic Towers, Banana Island and Lekki.
Okonjo hopes that with all these unique features and unrivalled façade, Greystone would be offering exceptional working environment and at the same time, expanding space options to corporate tenants.
CHUKA UROKO
