Torres Vermelhas

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Torres Vermelhas
The towers are visible from afar due to their height and their exposed position on the hill of Ponta Vermelha

The Torres Vermelhas , in English "Red Towers", are a residential complex consisting of two high-rise buildings located on Avenida das Mártires de Mueda in the Polana district of the Mozambican capital Maputo . Completed in 1974, due to the comparatively good construction quality and their proximity to numerous ministries and the official residence of the Mozambican President, they are considered to be upper-class living space.

history

In the course of progressive urbanization and the accompanying influx of many Portuguese settlers to Lourenço Marques in the 1960s, the need for adequate living space increased immensely. As a result, large residential complexes such as the Coop residential buildings, the 33-story high-rise “Trinta e Três” and the Torres Vermelhas, among others, were built. The latter was designed by the Portuguese architect Carlos Veiga Pinto Camelo . Construction work began in 1970 and could be completed after four years. Pinto Camelo also designed the Tivoli Hotel in downtown Maputo.

Pinto Camelo designed the residential complex, which consists of two individually standing, multi-tower-like structured high-rise buildings, each of which forms a composition of four parts of different heights. The taller structure measures 79 meters and contains 22 floors. The buildings got their name after the survey " Ponta Vermelha " (red point, red hill) on which they stand, which in turn bears his name because of the red soil that occurs there. Due to the exposed position on the hill, the towers are visible from a great distance, for example from the island of Inhaca .

Since Mozambique gained independence in 1975, civil servants and other residents of the Mozambican upper class have moved into the “Red Towers”, as they are still of relatively high quality with elevators, electricity and running water. In addition, there are numerous ministries and the official seat of the Mozambican President ( Palácio da Ponta Vermelha ) in the vicinity . Due to the low maintenance work on the buildings, some residents complain about massive deficiencies.

Web links

Commons : s  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ José Manuel Fernandes: Enquadramento Geral. In: Património da Influência Portuguesa (HPIP). Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, accessed December 13, 2014 (Portuguese).
  2. ↑ Quem socorre as Torres Vermelhas? In: Jornal Notícias. December 19, 2013, accessed December 13, 2014 (Portuguese).

Coordinates: 25 ° 58 ′ 46.9 ″  S , 32 ° 35 ′ 15.8 ″  E