ANDBEYOND - GRUMETI SERENGETI RIVER LODGE - SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA
A safari lodge that is sensitive to its setting, spacious and deeply luxurious. With a real sense of place and a vibrant, quirky yet sophisticated interior that captures the spirit of the great lakes region.
THE BRIEF
andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge was originally built by Archers Safaris in the early 1990’s. After operating successfully for 24 years, it had reached the end of its lifespan. When the Grumeti river burst its banks and the lodge flooded in April 2020, it was a sign that it was time for something new.
Our brief, in partnership with architect Jack Alexander, was to re-interpret and reinvent a traditional ‘safari-tent’ whilst still using canvas and lightweight structural elements as our primary materiality. We were tasked with creating a more luxurious, contemporary offering, in line with the competition in the Western Corridor of the Serengeti, remaining mindful of the authentic, rustic and tactile nature of the original andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp.
THE INSPIRATION
The fundamental driver for the architectural design of the lodge is the very bend in the ox-bow of the Grumeti river on which the lodge is positioned. The enclosed building elements draw inspiration from the nomadic pastoral Masai ‘Manyattas’ that proliferate across the plains of the Western Corridor in the Serengeti through the use of curving circular forms and local natural materials.
With the shores of Lake Victoria less than 50kms away, the interior design celebrates the vibrancy of the great lakes region of South Central Africa. The inspiration for the colour palette was seen in the villages surrounding the shores of the lake. The bright kanga and kitenge fabrics inspired us to use these bright and cheerful patterns in a new way. The canvas, banana fibre and hardwood cladding then add a layer of richness and texture to the clean lines of the building.
The original Grumeti lodge that we designed in 1996 had a very vibrant and rustic personality so it seemed obvious to keep the theme but deliver it in a more sophisticated and subtle manner.
THE RESULT
The result is a lodge that is sensitive to its setting, inherently spacious and deeply luxurious with a real sense of place and a vibrant, quirky yet sophisticated interior that captures the spirit of the great lakes region.
