PFO Africa, a construction company in Ivory Coast and designer and builder of the Abidjan Exhibition Centre, has awarded Belgian contractor Besix a contract to build the structure and roof cladding of the Palais des Congrès, a venue for holding trade fairs, events and conferences.
The works, which began in June 2021, includes the design, manufacture, transport and installation of a three-dimensional metal structure 37 metres high. Besix is also carrying out the concrete shell and the installation of the roof.
Designed by the architect Pierre Fakhoury, the Palais des Congrès will have a surface area of 12,000 sq m and a capacity to hold 10,000 people.
The Abidjan Exhibition Centre is part of the Eco-Aérocité project developed by the Ivorian Ministry of Trade and Industry. Built near the Félix Houphouët Boigny International Airport, the complex will house offices, hotels, shops and housing in a wooded environment.
Mathieu Dechamps, General Manager of Besix International, said: “Besix is very proud to participate in the construction of the Abidjan Exhibition Centre, a project which will further strengthen the central position of Ivory Coast in the heart of West Africa. This is our third project in the country at the initiative of PFO Africa, the leading construction company in Ivory Coast, and I would like to thank them for their trust and the quality of the relationship we have built up over the last few years.”
Other joint projects include one of the largest drinking water treatment plants in the region, in La Mé, to serve greater Abidjan area, and the F Tower in Abidjan, also designed by Pierre Fakhoury.
