Park Sofitel Hotel

The Sofitel Park is a 16-hectare subtropical park in Cotonou, surrounding the new Sofitel Hotel and the renovated CIC conference center. Its defining feature is a sculptural canopy, designed by LOOSvanVLIET, stretching from the hotel to the CIC. This elegant structure provides shade, orientation, and a visual link between the park’s zones.

The park is composed of four distinct areas: the entrance zone, the conference garden, the art park, and the hotel garden. Each zone reflects the function and atmosphere of the adjacent buildings. The entrance features a formal avenue and ornamental planting. Beneath the canopy, a reflective water mirror enhances the drop-off and continues visually into the hotel garden, where a second mirror connects indoor and outdoor spaces.

The conference garden on the west includes four themed gardens inspired by West African wax prints: the Succulent Garden, Grass Garden, Paradise Garden, and Palm Garden. Between them are shaded meeting spaces centered around “Umbrella Trees,” echoing traditional African gathering culture.

The art park on the east uses height variations and sculpted slopes to create dramatic settings for artworks, allowing for a dynamic and evolving collection.

Where possible, existing trees were preserved. New tropical species and red-flowering trees were added to enrich biodiversity and create rhythm, shade, and identity. Grasses and shrubs define open and enclosed garden rooms.

Refined materials, such as sand-colored concrete and local natural stone, together with high-quality detailing unify the design. The design also includes several roof gardens, among the first to be realized in Benin. Beneath the substrate layer, a retention system captures rainwater during the wet season for use in dry periods—a sustainable solution tailored to Cotonou’s subtropical climate.

Sofitel Hotel Park is a bold, context-sensitive landscape that unites nature, architecture, and culture—offering a refined, green oasis for the city.