Recent Urban development in Bangladesh

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New project in Banani DOHS

Ventura Aria

Recent Private Residence project, Nikunja

Tanvir Residence, Nikunja

 

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South Breeze Blue Water, Dhanmandi

 

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Dhaka Boat Club being built at Turag riverside in Purbachal area. Still under construction. This club is going to be built like a yacht club in Western Countries and will have marinas for private boats, boat docking/repair facilities etc.

Current Status:

OK now we have some good news about the Purbachal CBD (Central Business District) project - hope it survives this CoVid-19 debacle. The original plan envisioned several (seven/eight?) skyscrapers over in Purbachal - the tallest 71 stories according to last reports.

Powerpac Engg. (Bangladesh) and Kajima Engg. (Japan) are well-respected names in their respective countries in the infra sector.

$3.6bn EPC deal signed with China Energy

A consortium of PowerPac Holdings Limited and Kajima Corporation signed a $3.6-billion engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and financing agreement with China Energy Company Ltd on Wednesday for the partial development of Central Business District (CBD) at Purbachal in the capital.

The PowerPac Holdings Ltd inked the contract at the headquarters of the China Energy Co. Ltd., Beijing, China, said a press release here.

On behalf of the consortium, Ron Haque Sikder, managing director of the PowerPac Holdings Limited, and Zhang Hongming, member of the BOD, vice president of 'China Energy Company Ltd.', signed the agreement.

Under the agreement, China Energy Company Ltd will be partnering for the development works as well as arranging finance for the CBD project at Purbachal.

The PowerPac Holdings Limited., a sister concern of the Sikder Group, earlier signed another EPC and financing contract of US$2 billion with Power China, another Chinese group, for the development of some other parts of the same project about two months ago, the release added.

An iconic skyscraper will be built at the CBD project at Purbachal, a new township in the capital.

The project will be implemented with various facilities like office spaces with modern features, business centre, commercial spaces, retails, brand shops, luxurious apartments, 5-6 star hotels, convention centre, cultural centre, hospital, international school and shopping malls to modernise Dhaka’s skyline.

As per the master plan of the Purbachal New Town Project, there will be an international standard stadium with a capacity of 50,000 spectators, a world standard university, eco-park and a golf course training centre.

Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakkha (Rajuk) formally handed over a 100-acre site in December last year for implementing the project, according to PowerPac Holdings.

Source: UNB

PM Approves Funding for Development of Joyeeta Tower in Dhanmondi

Square Corporation Tower, Banani

Leads Corporation Tower, Sec 14, Mirpur

Innstar Trade Intercontinental Tower, Tejgaon I/A
32 storied mixed use building with 5 underground levels for parking

Innstar 1 Hatirjheel

Dahamashi Center, Banani

 

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Building Bangladesh: A New Wave of Cultural Projects


Bangladesh has built a new wave of cultural architecture over the last decade. Tied to design influences from across the Bengal region and the broader Indian subcontinent, the country's modern buildings stand alongside monuments dating back thousands of years. With an architecture rooted in religion, history and culture, contemporary projects build upon the past to imagine a new future for Bangladesh and its cities.

© Mike Kelley, Will Scott
The name Bangladesh means the country of Bengal, and this South-Asian sovereign state is one of the most densely-populated countries in the world. As BRAC's Adnan Morshed explains, the country's architectural scene has been thriving with "a new energy over the past two decades or so. Bangladeshi architects have been experimenting with form, material, aesthetics, and, most importantly, the idea of how architecture relates to history, society, and the land." Over time, the country's architecture has had a unique impact on the lifestyle, tradition and cultural life of Bangladeshi people.

With a diverse and picturesque geography, Bangladesh's built environment reflects a range of building conditions. From the world's largest river delta, the Ganges-Brahmaputra, to its evergreen hill ranges, to the Madhupur and Barind plateaus, the country has worked with a varied landscape and materials that were readily available. Beyond Louis Kahn's iconic National Assembly Building, more recent public and civic projects are being built that reinterpret the country's climate and history. From the capital city of Dhaka to more rural locations, the following modern buildings showcase cultural projects built over the last decade.

Handmade School by Anna Heringer + Eike Roswag

© Kurt Hoerbst
On average, nearly 1000 people live in every square kilometer of Bangladesh, and over 80% of the population live in rural areas. This project’s main strategy is to communicate and develop knowledge and skills within the local population so that they can make the best possible use of their available resources. Historic building techniques were developed and improved and the skills passed on to local tradesmen to further transform the building techniques.

Teach for Bangladesh by Studio Dhaka


© Asif Salman
The project is located at the densest commercial area of Dhaka city, and the function and nature of business of TFB contrasts with the site surrounding it. The project stands out from the surrounding corporate high-rise buildings in its very humble and down-to-earth structure. The edifice and the character of its spaces stand out in the utilization and interplay of natural resources like trees, plants, water, the sun, wind, rain and shadows.

Pani Community Centre by SchilderScholte architects


Courtesy of SchilderScholte Architects
The Dutch foundation Pani commissioned SchilderScholte architects to design an educational building in the north Bengal town of Rajarhat. The architects embraced this pro-bono assignment coming from ideological motives and knowledge sharing. The building serves as a community center for people from the region, aged from toddlers to the elderly. The starting point was to realize a building using materials and skills from within a 15 miles radius around the site.

Gulshan Society Mosque by Kashef Chowdhury - URBANA

© Iwan Baan


Courtesy of Urbana
The urban plot allocated for this mosque was relatively small but the survey suggested that the mosque would need to accommodate a large congregation. This necessitated re-imagining the mosque typology into a vertically stacked volume. Planned for 2500, the building is presently attended by up to 4500 people for the weekly Friday prayer. Because of the limited size of the plot, the court-prayer hall sequence had to be substituted for a pragmatic approach. The entrance, for example, is immediate: a flight of steps from the sidewalk directly leads to the main vestibule and prayer hall. All floors are accessible by generous stairs and elevators, taking visitors to six upper levels.

Franco-German Embassy in Dhaka by Stephane Paumier Architects


© Amit Pasricha
The common ambition of the Franco-German embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh presented itself as a strong opportunity for the design team to display the theme of duality and unity in a single building. This synergy between the two nations led to proposing a formal concept of permanent growth. The double DNA like spiral represents the dynamic relationship of France and Germany as the ‘political and economic engine' of modern Europe.

Mayor Mohammad Hanif Jame Mosque by Shatotto


© Mike Kelley, Will Scott
Located adjacent to the Azimpur graveyard in Lalbagh, the Mayor Mohammad Hanif Jummah Mosque is a threshold space inspired by the Azam Shah Mosque built by the Mughals in the Lalbagh Fort. The new design is a departure from traditional mosques in both physical and philosophical designs, combining old and new ideas into a contemporary concept. A key feature derived from the Mughal mosque was the “Shaan” – an extended terrace attached to the entrance of the main hall.

Friendship Centre by Kashef Chowdhury - URBANA


© Hélène Binet
The Friendship Center near the district town of Gaibandha, Bangladesh, is for an NGO which works with some of the poorest in the country and who live with very limited access and opportunities. Friendship uses the facility for its own training programs and will also rent out for meetings, training, conferences etc. as income generation. The low lying land, which is located in rural Gaibandha where agriculture is predominant, is under threat of flooding if the embankment encircling the town and peripheries break.

 

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Design Development Center is an approved project proposal at Karnaphuli EPZ, Anowara, Chittagong, Bangladesh for a Foreign Apparel conglomerate. The site contains a hillock which is celebrated through the design. The whole project is generated from the existing contour levels of the site, consisting of multilevel entrances. The program consists of Industry, Office and Dormitory.

 

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BRAC3 Towers Bangladesh - this project has been in development for a while now and is considered the jewel in Dhaka's architectural crown...

• Gross Floor Area 77,678 m2
• Floors (F/B) 15/3
• Completion 2022
• Client BRAC Bank

BRAC Bank is a social enterprise (leading NGO) that leads changes to Bangladesh and currently provides new opportunities to its citizens to promote economic growth.

The company has decided to relocate the existing headquarters in Dhaka and build two office buildings (including a new headquarter) plus a 5-star hotel in the newly relocated site.

The new site is located within the new downtown area; at North - the Gulshan Link Road connects the site with the new downtown and a new road in front of the site is currently under construction.

At East - the Gulshan Lake and the extensive green park.

By situating the buildings at the intersection of the old and the new downtown, the new headquarters is expected to become a new landmark of Dhaka.

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Latest finalized Image of Central Business District (CBD) in Purbachal New Town. This is the largest project in Bangladesh right now - headed by Powerpac Bangladesh/Kajima (Japan) consortium and will be designed and implemented by Heerim Korea and Power Engg. China respectively. Total investments will be multiple thousands of crores (Taka).

Skyscraper designs are very preliminary and detailed designs will be finalized as project progresses. There will be three towers at the primary core, having heights of 52, 71 and 96 stories. Please see video below for details.

Eventually this will form the newest core CBD/downtown area of Dhaka.

Older sixties downtown at Motijheel and current new CBD/downtown at Banani/Gulshan/Tejgaon will remain as the legacy/old ones.

 

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Lakeshore launches 'Kona Coffee' at Gulshan 2

Atique Rahman, Executive Director, Lakeshore Hotels, recently launched the hotel chain's first coffee shop "Kona Coffee" at Lakeshore Hotel at Gulshan 2 in the city.

Kona Coffee is a new coffee shop brand that aims to serve coffee drinks prepared from a blend of beans sourced from South American countries, and the Kona Island of Hawaii.

Fans of coffee drinks from around the city can visit Lakeshore Hotel and enjoy a delicious cup of Kona Coffee at their lobby café outlet.

Kona Coffee is established on the same values that have made Lakeshore a reputable name in the hospitality industry of Dhaka.

Lakeshore is widely known for its superior levels of service, and the quality of the food with a taste that makes a lasting impression. Most of Lakeshore's clients are repeat guests who are used to the high levels of personalized service they receive at the property and its outlets.

Wahiduzzaman, Manager, Kona Coffee, said the café is offering a wide range of caffeine-based hot and cold drinks, as well as an appetizing and varied range of bakery and pastry items, prepared fresh daily, with respect to the customers' preferences and at an excellent price.
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Hello HotPot!

Decorated from floor to ceiling with an authentic “Chinatown” feel, Yama Hotpot & Grill is one of the first restaurants in town to introduce the concept of hotpot. I had the pleasure of tasting, in what should ideally be termed as an “experience”, their authentic Chinese hotpot.

Hotpot is, simply put, a Chinese cooking method, prepared with a simmering pot of soup stock at the dining table. Hotpot is a buffet of ingredients, prepared carefully and pre-sliced into thin portions that will cook quickly and consistently in the bubbling broth, giving the customers the feel of cooking their own meals, and that is precisely what Yama hotpot does so well.

Picture a table with an induction top in the centre with a pot split into spicy and clear stock and surrounded by over 20 different types of ingredients including varieties of chicken, beef, fish, vegetables and crab (yes you read that right, delicious, whole crab!). If you want to customise the stocks or ingredients a little bit more, then you have a selection of over 16 different spices and herbs. These can be added to the pot itself or to a particular serving after it has been cooked. So that your friends who love everything extremely spicy (me!) can do so without ruining it for the rest of the group. But come on, a little spice doesn’t hurt anybody! Oh, and did we mention that you get unlimited refills and ingredients?!

Shamit always feels that restaurants have the power to unite people, and some restaurants are even able to create entire communities and neighbourhoods around them. “We wanted to give an experience to our customers where they can come, sit back, relax and enjoy the meal with their families, take a smoke break or maybe even go for a walk and then come back again to continue their meals” he shares. Shamit emphasises on his wish of bringing a community feel to the restaurant. Yama Hotpot is intended for those who want to spend quality time with friends and family.

Speaking further of his inspiration behind opening the restaurant, Shamit had to go back to the roots of Hobnob café, his first venture into the industry. Shamit along with his business partner of Chinese origin decided to bring selected items that are common in Chinese households to cater to the already large Chinese expats working in Dhaka and for the locals looking to experience something different. Launched in 2016, Hobnob Café gathered rave reviews for their beef noodle soup (which is a must-try if you haven’t already) and a wide selection of desserts (oh the Tiramisu!). After 3 years of success, the owners decided to bring the same impact of community that a traditional hotpot restaurant would bring and expanded their offering by launching Yama Hotpot & Grill in 2019, just one floor above Hobnob. With an already existing base of loyal customers courtesy Hobnob, their new venture was an instant hit and had, since then, become a place where friends and family spend hours talking and eating.

What separates a great restaurant from a good one is not just its food, décor or the service, but by how you lose track of time when you’re there. That is precisely what happened when I lost track of time while I was eating and talking with my crew. The variety of ingredients often means there is something for everyone. I personally love spicy food, and their spicy broth was exactly what my palette needed. The clear soup was a complete surprise to me as I equally loved it. Their dumplings and chicken items go perfectly with the spicy soup while all veggie items mix really well with the clear soup. Among the seafood items, their crab was so tender and delicious that it deserves a separate mention itself.

Besides the food there, what will stand out is, of course, their top-notch service. The servers know their ingredients very well and are kind enough to recommend ingredient and spice combinations. To top that, I had the privilege to check out their kitchen, which was exceptionally clean. Yama hotpot did not disappoint, and that went on to show the dedication of the staff to maintain high quality.

In short, Yama Hotpot and Grill is an experience that everyone should have. Delicious food, numerous options and combinations, high standard of service, cleanliness and more importantly, the feeling of togetherness while eating is what makes this restaurant unique and stand out from the rest.

 

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Note: This is probably one of the most pricy restaurants in the Dhaka culinary scene with excellence to match. Dinner will probably set you back Tk.10,000/- to Tk.15,000/- per person, (and that w/out alcohol if you're so inclined). So tread carefully.
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The Amber Room offers an Exquisite Culinary Ride
by IRFAN AZIZ

Trying to stand out in Dhaka’s food scene can be quite challenging. Given the kaleidoscopic nature of it, all it takes is a blink for the next significant phase to commence. But in The Amber Room, Dhaka has found the phase that is here to stay. The latest addition at the InterContinental Dhaka seeks to meet our fine dining needs and steak cravings unlike ever before. But it does so with a twist. Some of their signature dishes come with a slight local twist. A marriage between Bangladesh and the world, if you will. This way not only does The Amber Room offer you one of the sleekest gastronomic experiences in town, but also allows you to explore the world-class potential of local ingredients.

Upon entering The Amber Room, your mind and body will surely sense of cosiness emanated by its ambience. With an all-round wooden texture, just the perfect amount of illusion lighting, and chic furniture and contemporary paintings to go with it, it sets up the mood for a warm and euphonious night. But that’s not even the best part. The real spectacle is the sapid selection of culinary items that will stimulate your taste buds and leave them begging for more. The Amber Room specialises in steak. Ribeye, Tenderloin, Tomahawk, Lamb rack, Spare ribs from the finest black Angus meat from the land down under, just thinking about it makes our mouths salivate, to be honest.

Each steak is crafted to perfection via a meticulous process that can take up to 500 hours or 21 days. You heard that right. The process begins by hanging a massive portion of meat (usually 20 kilos or more) until it loses its moisture. Salt blocks that have been specially brought in from Tibet are then used to break down the tissue and make the steak more soft and tender. The meat is then rested in a state of the art storage facility with a temperature of precisely 1.5 degrees and humidity between 75 and 85. It doesn’t stop there. The preparation of the steak is done using the sous vide method, which is an intricate process that involves vacuum-sealing the meat and cooking to an exact temperature for up to 28 hours. The end product is nothing short of art. Perfectly charred meat with a velveteen centre that melts right into your mouth. Simply divine.

Apart from steaks, which is undoubtedly the centrepiece, Amber Room also has a selection of delectable dishes such as Crab Ravioli with Orange flavour, Prawn Kunafa along with various platters and even fusion dishes such as Marinated prawn with Bengali spices and Kacchi Biriyani. Told you, it puts Bengali cuisine on a pedestal along with the rest! And if you are looking to give your sweet tooth a kicking, they have the likes of mega profiterole, The Amber cheesecake, lemon tart, crepes and le baba au rhum.

“It takes experience and immense passion for combining different styles & creating different cuisines,” exclaimed Reynaldo S. Dulatre, the head chef at The Amber Room when asked to define the place. His words resonate through and through as the experience and passion are quite prevalent on even the minutest of details. The Amber Room is truly a cut above the rest, and you need to experience this now!

 

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Love Triangle, Dhanmondi

 

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Tarka, Rd 11, Banani (new location)

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Peyala Cafe, Gulshan-2

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Taste of Dhaka – Boithok – HEAVEN ON A PLATE
Written by KN Deya

Food doesn’t just stay food when it is enjoyed in the presence of loved ones, and what better way to have a meal than to relax in a restaurant where the scrumptious regional delicacies match the decor and ambience perfectly? Whether you’re a local or not, if you’re looking for an authentic Bengali experience, Boithok at Banani is the place to go.

“Jibanananda Das never came here for a meal,” the restaurant’s owners proclaims with mirth, but they also boast that Boithok would certainly appeal to that side of you which yearns for the refreshing Bengali
aesthetic. They promise a full-fledged “Bangali Voj”, how can you not be tempted? Despite offering the local cuisine, Boithok is as intricately designed as any western restaurant in the city. The cozy space featuring wide windows and open brick walls amplifies a sense of nostalgia as it brings to mind rustic coffee shops from popular songs and literature.

Stepping in the restaurant, the first thing that you see is a wall full of bookshelves that also wrap around the corner and continues along another wall. The books are placed strategically, leaving ample space as visual relief. An astonishing fact is that Boithok also hosts art exhibitions sometimes, that gives the place a more poetic air.

On the right-hand side of the entrance is an airy room with sitting arrangements, while the left leads to a little green veranda. The veranda is dominated by green. In keeping with the interior theme, here too are
two adjacent walls, completely overtaken with various ferns and herbs. Anyone who’s in the habit of smoking after a hearty meal can pick a wicker table here and enjoy the fresh air.

Speaking of a hearty meal, that is the only kind of meals Boithok offers. Their set meals center around steamed basmati rice and a protein, such as pomfret, beef kala bhuna and two preparations of chicken, as well as a mouth-watering array of bhortas. If you thought home is the only place where you’ll find thankuni bhorta, well, think again! Because you’ll find this item, and many more, at Boithok. While you’re feasting on the meal at an indoor or outdoor table, the taste and atmosphere will make you feel like you’re far away into the past.

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Meals are not the only thing Boithok has to offer. Their tea has become quite popular within just a few months. Their Masala tea has won many hearts. If you’re not a fan of hot beverages, you can instead check out their impressive array of cold drinks. Even after you’re done with your food, drinks (and perhaps smoke), Boithok doesn’t run out of things to offer. There is a set of carrom boards for the entertainment of the customers. If you’re not partial to games, you can just pick one of the books from the shelves and lose yourself in the story. In addition to their classy interior, all these activities will surely make you want to visit Boithok again.

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Now for a change of pace - a place in the country for those who want to get away from it all. In my opinion beautifully designed as a proposal.

Manikganj Villa

 

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Dhaka streets practically empty due to CoVid-19 situation.

 

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Three Airports Design Projects in Bangladesh
Osmani·Saidpur·Barisal, Bangladesh

• Location Osmani·Saidpur·Barisal, Bangladesh
• G.F.A(m2) 37,700(Osmani), 26,200(Saidpur)
• Floors(F/B) 2/1
• Design 2018
• Completion 2022
• Client Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh(CAAB)

The Three Bangladesh Airport design projects were carried out by the Bangladesh government in response to the improvement of passenger service and the increasing passenger demand. Yooshin performed a master plan of the project and Heerim conducted the basic design and construction documentation of the passenger terminal and auxiliary facilities.

Heerim has designed an international new terminal and subsidiary facilities of Osmani Airport, the second largest airport in Bangladesh, set up domestic and international new terminal and auxiliary facilities design at Saidpur Airport, and the control tower and airport terminal facilities design at Barisal Airport. The exterior and interior designs of each airport were designed with motifs according to Bangladesh regional characteristics.

 

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Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center, Purbachal (Latest Update)

Borak Hatirjheel Twin Towers (final redesign visualization) located on the side of Hatirjheel Drive

45 storied & 20 storied

Bangladesh Railway New Headquarters (visualization)

Dutch Bangla Bank Tower, Motijheel Shapla Roundabout Chottor (visualization, left most tower), Rightmost Low-rise dates from 1960's (State Bank of Pakistan)
25 FL + 3 basements

 

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Finlay South City, Baddarhat Circle, Chittagong