Parc des Amazones

In honor of 60 years of independence, the "Parc des Amazones" in Cotonou, Benin has been renovated. The area has a representative character due to its location between the court, the ministry, the convention center and the presidential building.

The Park stretches for one and a half kilometers and is made up of several sub-areas from north to south: starting from Champ de Foire Nord; with an urban green atmosphere on the city side, through Champ de Foire Sud to Place de l'Independance and the Esplanade des Amazones; the open section for events and finally a more natural stretch of park towards the sea. To the southeast the extension of the harbor is shielded by a high wall, planted with bougainvillea. The existing park contained several fine trees. These have been preserved as much as possible.

A 30-meter-tall bronze statue of an Amazon is placed on the Esplanade, in the center of the park. It is a tribute to the Ahosi army of women soldiers, who from 1890 fought against France, which wanted to conquer the area at the time. Now, 60 years after the independence, the icon serves as a statue of liberty for Benin. The large square surrounding the statue is laid in two-toned natural stone. 

There is a central axis in the park that faces the statue on both the north and south sides. This is where each year the military parade to celebrate independence will take place. The logistics of this parade have been incorporated into the design. At the edge of Place de L'Independance there is a grass stone area where stands can be set up for this parade. On either side of the Champ de Foire Nord and the Champ de Foire Sud, parking spots have been situated to allow cars to be parked under an avenue of trees.

Because of the subtropical climate in Benin, the temperature is usually 32 degrees with rainy seasons, water management was an important issue. Drainage takes place through the grass and planting beds to infiltrate and retain rainwater as much as possible and thereby also to prevent salination. Uncontrolled pumping of the groundwater for irrigation would stimulate seawater intrusion. 

The meandering paths are made of natural stone and the pattern is laid out in one direction throughout the park. Long concrete benches are placed along the paths, sloping down to ground level at the ends. Along the paths trees are being planted providing shade. A number of native trees has been used in the park, many of which are red-flowering tree species such as Delonix, Erythrina and Spathodea. The planting areas here always consist of one type of lower planting.

The use of solar lighting reduces energy use. The solar panels are aesthetically integrated in the pole or armature. There are 3 types of masts: a high mast of 12 meters in the square, masts of 8 meters along the roads and masts of 4 meters along the sidewalks. In addition, the Statue of the Amazons is lit by ground spots. 

The Park des Amazones is the first city park with this quality realized in Cotonou. The lack of local building materials and plants, the high cost of transporting building materials from abroad were one of the many obstacles encountered during the realization. Cotonou is developing rapidly. The public space of the city, is mainly paved, and without green or programs for the citizens. This project shows that the ongoing urban transformation and city expansion should focus on making Cotonou resilient to climate and social threads.