One Airport Square: The Ecological Diamond of Accra Location: Accra, Ghana
One Airport Square is a landmark that redefines what a modern office tower can be in a tropical climate. Designed by Mario Cucinella Architects, it is the first building in Ghana to receive a 4-Star Green Star rating. The design moves away from the inefficient glass-box standard, wrapping the building in a stunning diagrid concrete shell inspired by palm tree bark that provides self-shading and structural strength.
Accra is a bustling metropolis often characterized by imported architectural styles that fight against the climate rather than working with it. One Airport Square breaks this mold. It introduces a new aesthetic, "Ecological Beauty", where the technology used to save energy becomes the defining visual feature of the building.
It is a mixed-use hub that doesn't just house businesses; it creates a community. The ground floor is designed as an open public "piazza," a rendezvous space for employees and the public that brings life to the site day and night.
Tectonics: Structure as Ornament
The building’s most striking feature is its exoskeleton. The Diagrid: Instead of a simple glass curtain wall, the building is wrapped in a reinforced concrete diagonal grid. This isn't just decoration; these inclined piers provide rigidity to the structure, allowing for large, open interior spaces.
Local Inspiration: The pattern is inspired by the bark of local palm trees and traditional Ghanaian art. This porous shell acts as a sunscreen, protecting the inner glass facade from the intense solar radiation of the east and west, significantly reducing the need for air conditioning.
The Living Building: Tropical Intelligence
Designing an office tower at this latitude requires battling the sun. One Airport Square uses form to win that battle. The Breathing Core: The compact building is hollowed out by a large central atrium. This acts as a lung, facilitating natural ventilation through the "stack effect" and pulling natural light deep into the office floors so that artificial lighting is minimized.
Passive Cooling: The projecting terraces generated by the diagrid create overhangs that shade the glass. Inside, fresh air is distributed through a floating floor system, ensuring uniform cooling with less energy. Water Wisdom: Technologies limit water outflow, and the building harvests rainwater and reuses greywater for toilets, reducing the strain on Accra’s municipal systems.
Data Sheet
Project: One Airport Square
Location: Accra, Ghana
Architect: Mario Cucinella Architects
Completion Year: 2015
Area: 17,000 m²
Key Materials: Reinforced Concrete, Glass
Sustainability: 4-Star Green Star (GBCSA) - First in Ghana
Structural Engineer: Politecnica Ingegneria e Architettura
Photographs: Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
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