Monrovia, Liberia

Providence Island, Liberia

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Providence Island is an 11‐acre island off the coast of downtown Monrovia and the site of many historical events in the history of Liberia. Since the end of the country’s civil war in 2005, however, a generation of Liberian people have yet to connect physically with the significant history, landscape, and ecology of the island. The World Monuments Fund commissioned Studio Zewde to develop a concept plan that would demonstrate the potential of Providence Island to become a significant national and international destination, inclusive of historical archeological displays, an iconic cultural center, and a landscape experience that celebrates local ecology and traditions.

Studio Zewde’s concept plan includes a series of glades and gardens that balance everyday enjoyment of the island, a uniquely immersive integration of native planting, and the flexibility to host large scale civic and national events. In collaboration with Design Architect Jerome Byron Hord, we translated indigenous building traditions into an elevated and contemporary architectural language for a new cultural center on the island. Promenades, plazas, and lighting punctuate the landscape design experience across the 11 acres, choreographing a delicate design balance between the civic and the everyday.

TEAM

• Studio Zewde, Landscape Design
• World Monuments Fund, Client