Nabemba Tower

나벰바 타워

The Nabemba Tower, also called the Elf Tower, is a 106-meter skyscraper with 30 floors in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo. It stands right on the Congo River in the south of the city and is the country's tallest building. Offices of ministries, charities and UNESCO work inside.

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At a glance

Country: Congo - Brazzaville
Location: Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
Built: 1986
Height: 106 m
Type: Skyscraper

Quick answers

Where is Nabemba Tower?

Nabemba Tower is in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, Congo - Brazzaville.

When was Nabemba Tower built?

Nabemba Tower was built in 1986.

How tall is Nabemba Tower?

Nabemba Tower is about 106 m tall.

A 106-metre cylindrical tower built in 1986 beside the Congo River in Brazzaville, long the tallest building in Central Africa.

It is named after Mont Nabemba, the highest mountain in the country. It was built from 1983 to 1986 with money borrowed from the French oil company Elf Aquitaine. Its shape is a concave cylinder made of alternating vertical strips of glass and white concrete on a rectangular base.

Design and opening

The tower was designed by Jean Marie Legrand during the government's five-year plan. President Denis Sassou Nguesso opened it on February 3, 1990. Ministries and charity offices work inside, including the New Partnership for African Development and UNESCO.

Damage and costs

In the civil war of 1997 the tower was badly damaged. It was rebuilt for about six million pounds, which was more than the original cost. Keeping it running costs about three million pounds a year, and a local architect described it as built purely for prestige.

A tower built for prestige

The tower was part of a five-year plan to rebuild Brazzaville in the 1980s. Congo had oil money then, and the capital faced Kinshasa across the river, so a tall modern tower was a way to show national pride. Opinions are divided: some call it a modern architectural marvel of Central Africa, others call it one of the ugliest skyscrapers in the world. Rebuilding after the 1997 war was done by a small start-up company with the oil firm Elf Aquitaine's funding, and its yearly upkeep still costs about three million pounds.

Fun facts

It is named after the highest mountain in the country.
Rebuilding it cost more than building it the first time.
It was built with a loan from a French oil company.
Some call it a marvel of Central African architecture and others call it ugly, so people are divided.