Nairobi is home to the top tallest buildings in Kenya. It hosts skyscrapers that have defined Kenya’s sky line. It is also set to become the home of Africa’s tallest building. But today, which are the top buildings in the country? Here is a list:
1. The Pinnacle
The Pinnacle, also Pinnacle Towers, is a building under construction in Nairobi. When completed, the skyscraper is expected to become the tallest building in Africa, and the third tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, at 70 stories and over 1,000 feet (300 m) in height. The skyscraper is located in Upper Hill, on a 2.5 acres (10,000 m2) piece of property, approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi), south-west of the city centre. The development consists of two adjacent towers. The shorter tower, at 46 floors will house the 257-room, five-star Upper Hill Hilton Hotel, the third Hilton franchise in Nairobi and the 50th on the African continent. The taller tower, with 70 floors, will feature eleven floors of commercial office space, nine floors of upscale rental retail space, and 46 floors with 210 upscale 1, 2 and 3-bedroom, serviced residential apartments. Other amenities include conference facilities, a gymnasium, luxury spa and an infinity pool. The taller tower will have a roof-top helipad.Â
2. Britam Tower
Britam Tower, was build as a commercial tower and is owned by British-American Investments Company. The skyscraper has a maximum height of 195 metres, above ground, with 32 usable floors. It is the second-tallest building in Africa by pinnacle height at 200 m (660 ft).
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The building is the international headquarters of Britam. It features a unique prismic shape that starts as an equal four sided square footprint and ends with a two sided roof with a 60 metres (197 ft) mast, containing three helical wind turbines.
Britam Tower has a total of 350,000 square feet (32,516 m2) of office space to let for commercial purposes.The building has an attached 12 storey Car Prk that can accommodate up to 1,000 vehicles which caters to its many tenants.
3. UAP Old Mutual Tower
UAP Old Mutual Tower is a 33-storey office complex in the Upper Hill neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya owned by UAP Old Mutual Group, a financial services conglomerate headquartered in Kenya, with subsidiaries in six African countries.
The tower, which is also the second-tallest building in Nairobi at 163 m (535 ft) financed through private equity at a total of US $40,000,000 as of (2015). It has rentable space that measures 29,000 square metres (310,000 sq ft), and will also house the UAP Old Mutual Group headquarters once it is completely finished.
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Standing at an altitude of 5,700 feet above sea level, UAP Old Mutual Tower unseated Rahimtulla Tower as the highest point in Nairobi.
4. The Times Tower
The Times Tower, also known as the New Central Bank Tower, is an office tower in Nairobi, Kenya. At 140 metres (459 feet). With 38 floors, along with a 7-storey banking complex and an 11-split storey car park, it is served by 10 elevators.
The building is designed to resist earthquakes and is set on a concrete raft varying in thickness from 0.9 to 3.0 m (2 ft 11 in to 9 ft 10 in). The only tenant of the building is the Kenya Revenue Authority, who use it for tax remissions and administration, and it serves as a location for taxpayer education.
5. Kings Prism Tower
The 29-storey Prism Tower by Kings Developers commands the Nairobi’s skyline at 133 metres with its design of prisms that appear stacked upon prisms.
The concept of the prism is the inspiration for the design and architecture behind the making of this iconic tower. During the sunrise and sunset, when the sun emits golden rays, the vivid colours create the magical facets of a fine-cut jewel.
6. Le Mac
Located in Westlands Nairobi, Le’Mac is a 24 storey building that rises at 102 m with a new skywalk balcony with a transparent floor, wall, and railing. The 12mm double glazed glass on this sky-walk juts out 2 Metres and can hold 16 – 20 people at the same time.
When you look straight down, you will be treated to the heart-dropping view of cars driving 102 metres below your feet and people walking on the street while you float over the city. Inspired by Dubai style living, Le’Mac is a mixed development with office spaces from the 1st to the 6th floor and luxurious 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments from the 8th to 22nd floor. The structure that is on 1.32 Acres of land took five years to complete.
7. Parliament Tower
This 26-storey Parliament Tower building at 125 metres currently under construction, is expected to cost Ksh5.8 billion, including an underground tunnel at a cost of Ksh110 million, that will cross under Harambee Avenue road to parliament buildings.
8. Teleposta Towers
It is 120 metres in height with 27 floors. Situated down Kenyatta Avenue in the heart of the city, it was completed in 1999[1] after being started in 1996. It houses Telkom Kenya and Kenya’s Ministry of Information and Communications and Kenya Ministry of Trade. The building was designed by Anthony Gleeson and constructed by Laxmanbhai Construction.
9. Kenya Commercial Bank Plaza (KCB Plaza)
The skyscraper is located in Upper Hill, Nairobi and has twenty-one storeys consisting of approximately 171,800 square feet (15,961 m2) of rentable office space and enough parking for about four hundred and fifty automobiles.
Kenya Commercial Bank Group is the main tenant. Construction began in December 2010 and the building was completed in 2015. The building is owned by the Kenya Commercial Bank Employee Pension Fund.
The main contractor was China Wu Yi Company Limited. The building is fitted with solar panels to supplement the power from the national grid. It also has the ability to harvest and treat rainwater for use in the building. It is also fitted with water recycling capability, thereby reducing the cost of running the skyscraper.
10. The Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC)
The Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), formerly the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, is a 28-story building at 105.2 metres. It is located in the City Square of Nairobi and is a crucial address for a number of Government offices, including those of elected Senators. It is an internationally renowned venue for conferences, meetings, exhibitions and special events within walking distance of several five-star hotels.
11. Social Security House (National Social Security Fund Building)
Social Security House is a 28-story skyscraper in Nairobi, Kenya at 103 metres high. This Building is among the largest buildings in UpperHill and houses many offices including Governmental and privately owned offices.
