Twiga Aspire Lounge, Kilimanjaro International Airport, Tanzania.

Kilimanjaro International Airport opened in 1971 and rehabilitated in 2014 through a grant agreement between the governments of Tanzania and the Netherlands. The Dutch influence in design can be seen in the simplicity and clean lines which are synonymous to Dutch design.  The entire airport from entry to boarding gates has local hardwood, Mninga flooring complemented with black steel architectural elements which are also clad in places such as window louvres with Mninga. Swissport Tanzania PLC took over a lounge space overlooking the runway. The brief was to create a space that exudes the local culture with a modern touch. There were to be two lounges; Aspire Business Lounge, which would be accessible to travelers on Business Class or Loyalty Card holders and Aspire Comfort Lounge which travelers can use at a fee. The two lounges were to have a distinction between the two spaces in terms of finishes and style. The two lounges had existing Mninga flooring which was not allowed to be removed as it carried sentimental value as it was commissioned by one of the Presidents of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete.

In the Business Lounge, the flooring is a combination of Mninga flooring and a large format stone effect tile. Large planters in Mahogany wood were used in areas to create separation between different lounges. A simple gypsum ceiling with downlights and pendants completed the overall finish of the space. The Comfort lounge had existing Mninga flooring throughout the space to which we added mahogany planters and gypsum partitions to create the different seating areas. The furniture for both the lounges was sourced from Turkey, it consisted of an array of colors that brought out the perfect pop in color to the earthy tone finishes.