Bakadaji Hotel

Bakadaji Hotel was a complete ground-up build: foundations, structure, services, finishes and grounds. The site sits within the Tourism Development Area near Serekunda, so the programme had to account for a working tourism corridor around it and for the June-to-October rains falling across a multi-year build.

The guest accommodation runs as a two-storey wing in strong ochre and orange, with each upper room opening onto its own balcony behind a black steel balustrade, and full-height glazing at ground level. Set against it is a circular roundhouse under a conical thatched roof, carried on a ring of steel columns over an open, tiled ground floor — a traditional form built with modern structure beneath it.

Behind the guest wings, a swimming pool sits in a landscaped courtyard framed by mature trees that were retained through construction, with terraced planting, stone-clad retaining walls and poolside terracing. Guest room interiors were finished in warm plaster tones with timber panelling, fitted desks and wardrobes, air conditioning and locally patterned textiles.

The hotel also includes a conference hall finished for business use: a fitted ceiling with recessed linear lighting, acoustic wall panelling, projection screen and lectern, and a full boardroom-style seating layout — the facility that lets a leisure hotel take conference and event business through the quieter months.