Cultural and Tourist Complex on the Banks on Niger River

A vast country in West Africa, Niger is the link that connects North Africa to Sub-Saharan Africa. This
strategic position makes it a melting pot of extraordinary ethnic and cultural diversity. Niger's
cultural heritage is universally recognized throughout the world as evidenced by the inscription of
several of them on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This important cultural potential could be a
factor of development in tourism, because it and tourism have a mutually beneficial relationship that
is likely to strengthen the attractiveness and competitiveness of places, regions and even the
country. Tourism is a powerful vector for enhancing the value of culture and bringing in foreign
currency that contributes to maintaining and developing cultural heritage, cultural production and
creativity.
Unfortunately, a worrying fact is that over the last few decades we have witnessed a progressive
disinterest of the population in general and the youth in particular in the national cultural life. By
distancing itself from these values, it exposes itself to the risk of losing its way because it mortgages
what distinguishes it from others and what allows it to exist and assert itself as a people. All of these
problems, which are partly justified by the lack of adequate cultural infrastructure, require special
attention from an architectural point of view.
The cultural and tourist complex is a multifunctional space with components as varied as they are
efficient in a search for a balance between Nigerien culture and modernity. In keeping with the logic
of sustainability, our project perfectly embodies the inseparable relationship reflected in the trilogy
nature-culture-architecture. True reflection of the local culture both in its form and its symbolism, it
constitutes an important pole of cultural animation on the scale of the city of Niamey. Also, it gives it
a visibility, attraction and notoriety essential to accelerate its urban development.

Key words: culture, tourism, sustainable development, cultural complex

The cultural and tourist complex is a center for shows, exhibitions, reading and training. It provides a
wide range of cultural activities including, among others: Concerts, conferences, exhibitions, parties and various events, meetings, shows, reading and training, etc. The choice of materials was made
according to the specifications of our project and the constraints related to the structure, the
environment and the bioclimatic architecture. In order to respect the principles of bioclimatic
architecture, the shape of the buildings is intended to be pure and compact with maximum
contribution of natural lighting and ventilation through the facades and atrium. The photovoltaic
plant will occupy 55% (useful surface) of the usable area of each roof on which it will be installed and
which it will supply with electricity.