Technical and General Information El-Ali Setif Project

SETIF-ALGERIA 2008

Mega Project for sale

I-INTRODUCTION

 In the context of competing territorial present, some cities Algerian want to empower them to make urban projects prestigious rank the extent that they occupy at the regional or national. Sétif is no exception to this rule.

-The parameters related to its development as a regional hub (Madani and Diafat, 2002), population size and mix of financial flows could be conducive to a project of great magnitude, such as a hotel "high end".

 The founder of the project is the CNEP Bank and the Client delegate since 1998 is the SPI - CNEP-Property, heir of the former SPIE restructured.

 The project site alone trying any investor, given its strategic position in the centre of Setif and crossing the park "the Citadel."

 The advantages offered by this site are numerous, but the constraints of historic fabric, as a background to the project, are diverse. Hence the need for an approach based on the dynamics of urban project to preserve the balance already established at the district's point of view urban and architectural.

 Should it also be noted that this site is full of Roman remains, if it is the superimposition of several civilizations that at Sétif known for centuries.

 It is curious that the council at that time had decided to deliver this ground to a private real estate developer for some time before putting out to tender and ultimately to cede the CNEP.

 The stakes should be large and local authorities already saw a promising project for the city, otherwise how justify such a decision.

 Moreover, a decision of such importance for the city saw no popular consultation beforehand. So, we are still far from the governance and its virtues as recounted in the speeches of our leaders and elected officials.

II - Initiation of the project:

 The idea for the project Sétif El-Ali (SEA) has experienced the day at the Department of CNEP when the council (APC) from Setif auctioned the present land in 1993. The land, spread over an area of 8052 square metres, was purchased at a price of 28 182 000 DA (Algerian dinars), which gives a cost of approximately 3500 square metre DA; maximum cost of acquisition at the time reference to the text on the transfer price of land by Fields. The price was reasonable given the whereabouts of the field.

 This land is bounded by the crib and the Museum north, the municipal pool to the east, the street of 8 November 1971 in the south and the park to the west. Its proximity of public institutions: the headquarters of the Wilaya, Hotel Finance, APC, the City financial, etc. And its location within the park, give him this place.

 Compared to the many benefits of this site, it was therefore decided to make the project possible. The program originally consisted of 156-selected promotional housing and a large shopping mall in the lower levels with parking in the basement.

 A research department of public Algiers, BEREG, won the competition, on the study of the project SEA in 1994

A year later in 1995, the project has been entrusted to the public STWS who was already in trouble, and the project could not leave the ground and in 1998.

 The company in question was dissolved and the draft is then taken up by a group of private companies, the Nova-Invest of Setif, which put all means at its disposal to enable the completion of major works and put the structure in its current state during the year 2003.

III - Development Programme:

The original program was developed for conducting a business centre "El-Ali" built on an area of 7880 square metres and a floor area of about 50 000 square metres. Thus, it was stipulated that:

-Tarp water is provided at a lower level - 5.00 m, and a central air conditioning.
 The level semi buried includes a section for parking, and the other party - onto the street - is scheduled for commercial activities such as: taxi phones, tobacco and newspapers, and a jet of water.
 The ground floor will house the mall.
 The first floor will be a space for a cafeteria and a restaurant with terrace and a department store for clothing.
 In the second floor, there are two movie theatres, game rooms and sports, and two cafeterias with terraces.
 The offices for agencies and functions liberal situated on the third floor
 the fourth floor will be organized as computer centre, library and two conference rooms.
 Finally, the remaining floors will be occupied by housing type standing (studios, apartments F3 to F6 and duplexes on the top floor to find the sheet water against fire.

IV - Project Implementation:

 The study of the project was entrusted to the Office study BEREG, while providing guidelines expressing the idea of the developer.

 This aspect has been respected by the contractor and will be presented below in the form of architectural and urban areas.

 The implementation phase has experienced high and lows.

 However, it retains the technical aspect in its most simple, from a structure, as long as the current building is limited to big-works.

 Finally, an overview is given on the cost of the project until the cessation of work in 2003.

4.1 - Party architectural and urban:

 In implementing the programme above, certain requirements have been made for the teacher workforce: (CNEP-Property: Sheet Project, 1998)

The geometric composition of the project must take into account the characteristics of the urban fabric, order elements of the project and allow a rational occupation of the ground.

 The two-sub soil must occupy the entire field: the first basement must be accessible with two ramps double meaning by the upper ground.

 Starting from the lower part of the field (street), you can access the second floor by two ramps double meaning.

-A portion of the first basement onto the street will include stores to animate this public space.

 The buried at this level will be occupied by the terminal and illuminated from the glass that covers the inner courtyard.

 Access to housing is a top field with two large cages of stairs with elevators that take departure from the inner courtyard to Rdc the hierarchy of spaces: public, semi-public, and so on is required.

The output of users of car parks outwards or to different levels of equipment and housing will be done using three large cages of stairs, two with elevators. These give directly to the outside and are open to facades, which allows evacuating part of smoke from vehicles.

 The other part being evacuated by extractors, which are provided for this purpose
 Tarp water is buried under second basement and a central air conditioning. Another tarpaulin water against fire is provided on the terrace of the first level so that it can be released automatically in case fires were to occur.

 The planned building is a harmonious composition respecting the views of the park. The project involves space and expression of facades. The facade-overlooking street is behind the structure that is apparent, creating a shopping mall. The transparency of space reduces the contrast between indoor and outdoor.

 The arrangement of various components: construction, interior courtyard and areas of access, integrates its urban environment  (pool, museum, etc.). Including the park that serves as its backdrop. In contrast to the external scale, voluntarily restricted the lobby to double arrivals Street connects the different vertical circulations that lead residents, visitors and customers to different areas arranged around a central courtyard covered by a glass roof.
 The internal organization is simple and structured on a journey that connects them all six levels of equipment; the course is marked by an alternation of static and dynamic spaces, the latter area of work as liaison between the first between rooms and the exhibition hall.

 This opposition between spaces is accentuated by lighting and lighting treatments to different functions, library, and conference room, zénithalement thus lit by skylights The transitional spaces are punctual by horizontal slots that suggest the space of the inner courtyard in which the fountain, the water jet.

 The restaurant placed on the first floor opens directly onto the terrace, which overlooks the park. Two satellites at the ninth and thirteenth floors connect the two sets of homes.

4.2 - State of the project:

 The height of the towers was determined based on average local construction companies, including the ability and the height of cranes. The structure of the building is mixed: in beams and posts sails. This traditional method (with the wooden) reinforced concrete has required enormous quantity of construction materials, and mobilizing all means of Nova-Invest. The most important issue of this phase of construction was concrete; some entrepreneurs have anticipated this lucrative market by buying power concrete for the occasion.

 The book is made entirely in its big-phase works and studying the conversion is complete. The building occupying 7880 square metres consists of two basements, a ground floor and 17 storeys, including 13 originally intended to various homes.

The amount of cumulative commitments at the end of 2001 amounted to 708 million DA (about 7 million euros), of which 570 million DA are paid for the same period. (KP Partner, 2002)

VI - Redefinition of objectives:

The decision to convert the draft sae (156 housing units with shops and parking) in a draft 5-star Hotel, demonstrates the difficulties of the client to define clear objectives, in the midst of economic and social change (in a administered economy to a market economy). In 1993, the CNEP wanted to learn about investment in major projects, but the process was a hasty manner, without an adequate study and actual market.

 When the project is fully realized in the phase of large works, the client began to doubt the viability of a housing project 17-storey building in the city centre, with all the impacts that a project of this magnitude can have on its immediate context, especially in terms of residential density and needs arising in terms of equipment support.

 This conversion was decided by the developer (CNEP-Property) based on the following parameters:
 The importance of the local population with a high emigration, source of income in foreign currencies.
 The opening of a new airport in Ain Arnat, which could facilitate the mobility of business travellers
 The economic expansion of the Wilaya of Setif, even the high plains region with the completion of new investments.
 The amounts of cash money collected by the local banking sector, considered the largest after that of Algiers.
 The possible development of Tourism locally and regionally

The new programme is as follows:
 5-star hotel with a capacity of 222 rooms, 98 suites and 11 duplexes.
 Panoramic restaurant on the top floor
 four levels reserved for administrative infrastructure, commercial and animation.
 Utility Structures: parking, water sheeting, checkpoint, reception, infirmary, monitoring post.

 Pool already gained. The Directorate (to) Projects, dealing with the case, after having undertaken the first studies processing techniques and control with the BEREG and CTC which validated the technical parameters of structure, requested in 2002 a Cabinet advisory and assistance in the management of Algiers, KP Kermiche Partner, to guarantee the best conditions for success in this project.

 The investment is made up to 70% and the decision to create this hotel infrastructure has already been established on the basis of intuitive, so to say before making a real market. This major project targets an entire region: Setif, Bordj Bou Arreridj, M'Sila, Batna, Bejaia and Mila, as it lies at the heart of a true hub services "high end" with the centre of gravity the scientific and cultural activities, recreation and relaxation of trade in products recovery.

The search for a management company, among the major hotel chains at the international level to ensure optimal management for the 5-star hotel, led early in 2001 to meet a Turkish partner "MESA" which has shown great interest in this project. Local authorities have even proposed to redevelop the park to better serve the draft El-Ali.

VII - Conclusions:

 One lesson to be learned from this experience, it is inconceivable today to initiate a project before knowing and set objectives in an accurate. The case of SEA is very eloquent to show how a project without specific goal could combine the delay in its implementation and additional costs that it may train. Also, it is risky to rely on intuition only for mounting such a project, which requires a market study prior to any commitment.

This project is certainly necessary for a city as important as Sétif at the national level; however, it is unacceptable to carry out projects that have no respect for their environment, beginning with the archaeological site, which was event without any reaction on the part of local authorities. Other sites farther from the historic centre can accommodate this type of project without adverse impact on the urban balance already established.

. Nowadays, some policy makers and promoters in Algeria do not see modernity as through the only building towers tall buildings. It is a fairly narrow representation of the urban landscape and domineering towards the urban and architectural heritage of our cities.

 Thus, the urban project we spoke with us, but we did not because of the gap between the spirit of urban facts: participation, governance, etc. And everyday reality.

References:

CNEP-Property, (1998). "Sheet project," Archives.

Kermiche Partner KP (2002). "Report and review of the draft SEA Archives CNEP-Property.

 "Intermediate Cities and Sustainable Development: Case of Setif - Algeria," in Review NGS 303 (Netherlands Geographical Studies): 'Urban Regions: Governing Interacting Economic, Housing and Transport Systems', Utrecht, the Netherlands.

This report include 11 Pages

Officially Translation by ABBC.Ltd © 2007 all rights reserved

M.Serrai Zahir

Director of the ABBC.Ltd UK

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