As part of its long collaboration with Gambian authorities that lead in 2003 to the inclusion of Kunta Kinteh Island on the World Heritage List, CRAterre was invited twice this year to the Gambia to implement the Action Plan set up for the revamping of this tourism “product”: Kunta Kinteh Island and its related sites (the two villages of Albreda and Juffureh). The goal of this governmental campaign is to reveal new cultural and natural values in order to invite visitors to stay longer, and make a more significant contribution to the local economy. Two activities of the Action Plan were handled by CRAterre: the installation of historic panels and the design of a tourist information centre, which should be built in 2016. The revitalisation of this major tourist destination in The Gambia is overseen by the Gambia Tourism Board with the support of the National Council for Arts and Culture. Ten information panels designed by CRAterre were installed in August 2015 on various sites, including Kunta Kinteh Island and Albreda village. The information centre, designed during a workshop organised with the participation of tourist guides and local craftsmen, represents the local architecture through its materials, construction techniques and vernacular space layout. It will cover a 450 sq. m platform formerly occupied by a warehouse in disuse, which altered the architectural values of the main village square. The materials selected for its construction will be mostly sourced in the village: stones for the foundations and earth for moulding adobes for the walls. The structure will be covered with the roofing sheets recovered from the demolished warehouse.

Partners

Gambia Tourism Board, National Council for Arts and Culture