In the vibrant heart of Abidjan, where the Plateau region meets the languid sweep of the Ébrié Lagoon, SAOTA designed the new Noom Hotel Abidjan Plateau, whose striking silhouette stands out against the skyline.

Abidjan, often called the “Paris of West Africa”, has long been a canvas for architectural ambition. The city’s modernist heritage, rooted in the optimistic post-independence era, saw the creation of bold, expressive forms—symbols of progress and newfound identity. The Noom Hotel, with its 22-storey tower, stands as a contemporary extension of this lineage, responding to the urban and cultural context with a reflective and forward-looking design.

SAOTA, a practice known for its sensitivity to site and culture, was commissioned by Teyliom Hospitality to bring its vision of high-end African hospitality to life. Teyliom, which Mangalis Hotel Group operates, sought to create a hotel that would compete on a global stage and resonate deeply with its West African setting.

The architectural brief was complex: designing a 179-key hotel on a constrained urban site that could express Noom's luxurious, cosmopolitan appeal while remaining firmly rooted in its African identity. This was not SAOTA’s first collaboration with Teyliom, but it was perhaps their most ambitious—an opportunity to help shape the narrative of modern hospitality in West Africa.



There is a tension in this design, a dialogue between the past and the present, between local identity and global aspirations. This is perhaps most evident in how the building addresses its urban site. The Plateau region is a dense, dynamic part of Abidjan, where space is at a premium and every square meter counts. The challenge for SAOTA was to translate the open, expansive feel of Noom’s previous low-rise hotels into a vertical format without losing the sense of openness and connection to the surroundings.

The design is not merely an aesthetic exercise; it is a response to Abidjan's specific climatic conditions. The tower is clad in an aluminium rain-screen and insulated, a pragmatic choice to reduce heat gain and minimise the building’s energy consumption.



Address  8XFG+9H3, Boulevard de Gaulle, BP 7393, Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Photography  Adam Letch

Architecture  SAOTA