The sites

A selection of eight potential sites for the new school is listed in the report from 2007.

Through site visits and discussions with representatives for the schools and other consultans I have narrowed these down to three alternatives I wish to have a closer look at:

1_Aeroporto area
2_Praça de Touros
3_Rua de Bagamoya

Maputo and the tree sites

1_Aeroporto area

The site is located in a housing area west of Avenida Angola. Industrial acticities and buildings are situated along the Avenida in this area, and the Maputo internationnal airport, Aeroporto de Mavalane is just 500 m north of the site.

This locality is 4 km from the city center, but centrally positionned according to the population in the Maputo area.

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• The location is central in a densely populated area.
• The site is designated to the Escola de Belas Artes.
• The Chinese are building a school on the site for the ENAV.

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• The site is “hidden” 200 m from the Avenida and hard to find.
• The school who is beeing built by the Chinese is occupying the entire site and will contain only 8-9 class rooms. The building does not give the opportunity of an expansion neither vertically nor horizontally. Furthermore class rooms and the school layout is suited for a primary school and not an art school.

As I see it, trying to make the new building fit to an art school would be a mistake. It should rather be used as a primary school, wich is also needed in the area.

Creating a campus for a fine arts school in or around this site is impossible without flattenig a large housing area, and this location is not suitable enough to justify such measures. I therefore choose not to take this scenario further.


2_Praça de Touros

The old bull fighting arena is located by the Avenida Acordos de Lusaka, the main road between the city center and the airport.

This site is on the outskirts of the city center, surrounded by shopping centers and heavy populated areas. The main campus of the Eduardo Mondlane University lies 1,5 km west of the site.



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• The building is designated to be a cultural center by the municipality.
• The location is suitable, central and visible.
• Most of the space in the bull ring is currently not in use.
• The existing structure is adapted to house spectacles and spectators and could probably be transformed into usable areas (concert hall etc).

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• Parts of the building is occupied by mechanical workshops and such.
• The circular shape of the bull ring means that parts of the building has an unfortunate direction in relation to solar heat gains.

the bull fighting arena, seen from a passing chapa

Site, location and existing structures seems suitable for the project. Representatives from the school and other consultants also point out this alternative. I will therefore continue working with this scenario, with a study of possibilites.


3_Rua de Bagamoya

Both the Escola Nacional de Dança and the Escola Nacional de Artes Visuais are currently situated in the Rua de Bagamoya, a narrow street between the Praça de 25 de Setembro and the Praça dos Trabalhadores.

The site is in the middle of the city center, but not very central relative to the most populated areas.



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• The central location is visible and easily accessible for visitors, tourists and commercial activities.
• Two of the buildings are allready in use by the school.
• A transformation here could lead to a positive change in the area.

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• This location is not central for most of the students.
• The existing buildings needs a lot of rehabilitation and extensive alterations.
• Some of the buidings does not seem to be suited for the purpose (story heights etc.)
• The area is crowded with prostitutes and shady bars.
• It may be difficult to fit some of the large spaces of the program in the available areas.

ENAV building to the right and ARPAC (archive of cultural heritage) to the left
are connected with a commond yard and a balcony on the 1st floor

Dispite of some obvious disadvantages, this area seems suitable for a gathering of the three schools. I will also take this alternative to the next step.