Society house a thread 🧵 - details are pretty sketchy so any additions or corrections are welcome
Designed by famed Serbian architect, Ivan Straus, the 20 floor Society House was Zambia’s tallest building when it was completed in 1973 #societyhouse @Wika_Kawina
GRZ was so impressed with Society House it that they ordered that a second one be built, just 800m south of it for the Finance and Development Corporation (Findeco). It was supposed to be 25 floors high.
Most people don’t realise it’s the same design. #societyhouse
Mid-way through the construction of Findeco House, during installation of an elevator, engineers noted that the building was leaning to the south. Investigations revealed a crack in the limestone bedrock below and the height was limited to 23 floors. #societyhouse
When Findeco House was opened in 1979, the Yugoslav govt representatives who attended the opening were so impressed by the project that they commissioned their own, known as the Unis Towers in Sarajevo, built in 1986 #societyhouse
Returning to Society House. In 1996 an electrical fire 🔥 sparked inside Prudence Bank on the 11th floor and spread all the way up in a matter or hours. The fire suppression system failed and the fire brigade didn’t have equipment to put it out. #societyhouse
The first news of Society House burning came from inside the news room at Radio Phoenix 🔥 on the 18th floor.
I remember walking 🚶♂️ from Rhodespark to the Church rd flyover bridge to see if for myself. Scenes on the ground were chaotic #societyhouse
The fire brigade watched helpless as the fire at Society House continued for three full days as ZNBS staff carted their belongings out onto the street.
No lives were lost but the fire was a blow for the govt at a time when Zambian pride was at an all time low. In the aftermath, it later emerged that ZNBS had not insured the building.
In 1999 the building was inspected and condemned. A tender was out out for the demolition of Society House but for unknown reasons it was never carried out. #societyhouse
In 2009, I was standing in a NAPSA office when someone showed me a scale model depicting the restoration of Society House. NAPSA was to finance the rebuild for $100m, this was after a firm of Chinese contractors had determined that the structure was safe. #societyhouse
The redesign of Society House was led by Zambian Architecht Kelly Kalumba of Louis Karol Architects of Cape Town. The restoration of began in 2011 and was completed in late 2015.
In a strange coincidence, Society and Findeco’s twin 👯♂️ brothers, the Unis Towers were set on fire 🔥 by missile attacks during the Bosnian war and were burnt out
They were later restored and are due to be expanded to house…..you guessed it, a hotel complex #societyhouse
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