For nearly three decades, the distinctive twin towers of Nation Center have formed part of Nairobi’s central business district skyline.
Located along Kimathi Street, the 17-storey building was completed in 1997 after a five-year construction period to serve as a major home for the Nation media operation.
The building houses the headquarters of Nation Media Group (NMG), East Africa’s largest independent media house.
Today, the landmark is drawing renewed attention as a new building rises immediately beside it, prompting fresh discussion about the changing appearance of Nairobi’s CBD and the relationship between older architectural landmarks and new developments.
How Nation Center Was Designed
Industrial Promotion Building Ltd (IPB), now known as Property Development Management (PDM), developed the Nation Center, while Planning Systems Services Ltd of Kenya and Danish architectural practice Henning Larsen Tegnestue designed it.
The Council on Vertical Urbanism records the building at 82.9 meters and 17 floors, with construction beginning in 1992 and completion in 1997.
Its design was conceived as a landmark mixed-use development with offices and shops, and the architects sought to establish a physical relationship between the newspaper organization and the surrounding city.
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The building’s most recognizable feature is its unusual arrangement. A 10-storey podium rises from street level, with two cylindrical seven-storey towers positioned above it. A tall aerial is mounted on the entrance canopy.
The exterior uses horizontal bands and concrete louvers, while the towers incorporate a different window arrangement. Inside, the architects incorporated elaborate finishes, a double-height lobby, fountains, two atria, and spiral staircases. The upper levels also include landscaped roof-garden areas and glass conservatories linking the towers.
A Building Created for Nation Media
The building became the new headquarters of the Nation operation as the media group expanded its operations and technology.
According to Monitor, the move from the group’s older Nation House headquarters to the custom-built 17-story Center was part of a wider period of expansion between the 1992 and 1997 elections.
The new premises brought most of the group’s departments under one roof, although circulation operations remained at the distribution center on Tom Mboya Street.
Newspapers initially occupied four floors and spent KSh80 million on fitting out their space. By 1994, the building was fully occupied, with tenants including the Nairobi Stock Exchange and Diamond Trust Bank.
Its curved façade, striped exterior, cylindrical towers and prominent mast made it markedly different from the conventional rectangular office blocks that dominate much of the CBD.
Who Owns Nation Center?
The project was conceived as a landmark mixed-use development combining offices and shops, with the architects seeking to strengthen the connection between the newspaper institution and Nairobi’s surrounding urban environment.
Property Development Management (PDM) is a real estate development company that owns Nation Center and is an affiliate of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
Commercial space and facilities
Nation Center continues to accommodate commercial tenants alongside its association with Nation Media Group.
According to Property Development Management (PDM), available spaces start from 2,700 square feet, with both partly fitted and bare-shell options. The advertised rent is KSh330 per square foot per month for ground-floor space and KSh80 per square foot per month on the upper floors, before VAT.
A service charge of KSh37 per square foot is also listed, while parking is charged at KSh13,650 per bay.
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The building offers 24-hour access and security, high-speed lifts, CCTV surveillance, standby generators and fiber connectivity. Its office spaces can accommodate open-plan arrangements, private offices and executive suites, while the ground floor can accommodate retail and restaurant uses. The property is also served by high-speed lifts.
The New Structure Beside Nation Center
Currently, a new building under construction along Kimathi Street has risen immediately beside Nation Center, partially changing views of the older building. The development has attracted public attention online, with reactions ranging from criticism of its appearance and proximity to Nation Center to arguments that new developments should be allowed to occupy privately owned plots.
The new structure has also revived questions about how Nairobi manages development around established landmarks.
However, publicly available reports reviewed for this article do not establish the developer, final height, completion date, or approved architectural specifications of the new structure, so those details cannot be stated as confirmed facts.
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