Hilton Hotel Nairobi Under Construction 1968?

    I thought the Nairobi Architecture Pool might enjoy this one.

    Comments and faves

    1. ScaryLily (49 months ago | reply)

      Tower of Babel. What else!

    2. ART NAHPRO (49 months ago | reply)

      It does look like that. When I worked in Docklands in London, I watched the Canary Wharf tower being built from my office window, it went up and up into the clouds...I was disappointed when in topped out...I thought "Another 30 floors, surely they can manage that?"

      I think it is odd that there is no protective scaffolding or sheeting, everything open to the elements..that timber just balancing at the top there..

    3. Very Good with Computers [deleted] (48 months ago | reply)

      I once attended a 'workshop' one of whose aims was to find efficient ways of disposing of the rubble should Canary Wharf be maliciously demolished....rather depressing.

      I prefer this story, about the Tower of Babel: "Some Kabbalistic mystics provide intriguing and unusual descriptions of the Tower of Babel. According to Menachem Tsioni, an Italian Torah commentator of 15th century, the Tower was a functional flying craft, empowered by some powerful magic or technology; the device was originally intended for holy purposes, but was later misused in order to gain control over the whole world. Isaac of Acre wrote that the Tower builders had reached, or at least planned to reach the distance of 2,360,000,000 parsas or 9-10 billion kilometers above the Earth surface, which is about the radius of the Solar System, including most Trans-Neptunian objects. Similar accounts are also found in the writing of Jonathan Eybeschutz and the ancient book Brith Menuchah, according to which the builders of the Tower planned to equip it with some shield technology ("shielding wings") and powerful weapons. Many Kabbalists believed that the ancient peoples possessed magic knowledge of the Nephilim, which allowed them to construct such powerful devices. Moreover, according to some commentaries, some Talmudic sages possessed a manual for building such a flying tower." (Wikipedia)

    4. Very Good with Computers [deleted] (48 months ago | reply)

      And this just doesn't compare :o)

      GPO Tower, 1963

    5. ART NAHPRO (48 months ago | reply)

      I guess someone has to plan for these things...anything is possible-a depressing thought indeed.

      I expect one day we may well see Canary Wharf (One Canada Square?) roar into space trailing Kabbalistic mystics in its wake...hahaha

    6. ART NAHPRO (48 months ago | reply)

      Just seen your GPO tower photograph-that is actually amazing...I went up there with my dad in 1969 or so when it had a revolving observation platform and restaurant at the top...it was splendid

    7. nomsaleena (47 months ago | reply)

      wow, this is great! I lived in Nairobi for a few years in the 90s and this brings back memories. I really love your other Tanzania / East Africa pictures too, it's very interesting. thanks for sharing!

    8. ★

      nomsaleena added this photo to her favorites. (47 months ago)

    9. ART NAHPRO (47 months ago | reply)

      Thanks nomsaleena...very happy times (mostly) for me. Thanks for looking in...

    10. ScaryLily (47 months ago | reply)

      A perfect background for another dancing video??! ;-)

    11. ART NAHPRO (47 months ago | reply)

      You never know...Morning Lily..

    12. ScaryLily (47 months ago | reply)

      Morning Paul! Sun shining for you?

    13. ART NAHPRO (47 months ago | reply)

      Rain today...I have been doing a few day's work gardening and there was a gentle soft rain today..not enough to get soaked though...

    14. afromusing (44 months ago | reply)

      oh wow!! This member of the Nairobi architecture group CERTAINLY enjoys this. I am digging around for the 'After' picture

    15. afromusing (44 months ago | reply)

      Here it is, a shot from January 2007

    16. ART NAHPRO (44 months ago | reply)

      Thanks so much for that..this was quite something when it was first erected in Nairobi...

    17. ART NAHPRO (39 months ago | reply)

      Here is afromusing's shot of the Hilton today:

    18. Dennis Rhodes (31 months ago | reply)

      When this was being built I heard two stories of disaster. One the 1st Half way up the plans were out of sync with construction so the floor layout changes.
      Also Just before opening, a bucket of damp dirty cement was accidentally dropped down the Marble staircase. You could still see the faint stain years later if you looked closely.

    19. ART NAHPRO (31 months ago | reply)

      Haha..it was quite the building in its day..I did a lot of hanging around there as a teenager...

    20. ★

      afromusing and sixoone added this photo to their favorites.

    21. - J.S.K photo impressions - (24 months ago | reply)

      You wouldn't want to be hanging around there anymore though! I stayed somewhere in that concete jungle a few years ago! Good capture.

    22. ART NAHPRO (24 months ago | reply)

      thansk jsk..Nairobi used to be a very beautiful city when I was a kid

    23. ★

      RoyKing™ added this photo to his favorites. (10 months ago)

    24. Swazi Rose (2 months ago | reply)

      I'd like to add this one to Expats Alive (www.expatsalive.co.uk) please. May I?

    25. ★

      meaduva added this photo to her favorites. (4 weeks ago)

    26. ART NAHPRO (4 weeks ago | reply)

      Sorry Swazi Rose, just saw your message. By all means.

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