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Hôtel du Gouvernement (Government Hall), colloquially known as Immeuble du Gouvernement (Government Building), or Bâtiment Intelligent (Smart Building), is a nine-story building located in the Gombe commune of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is conveniently situated along Boulevard du 30 Juin and houses numerous central government ministries and accommodates various public services.

The building was officially inaugurated by then-President Joseph Kabila on July 20, 2015, alongside the Monument de l'Unité Nationale at the building's frontage. Covering a total area of 23,300 square meters, it was constructed by the Chinese company SZTC (Société Zhengwei Technique Congo), employing approximately 500 Congolese and 200 Chinese workers.

History

Construction

President Joseph Kabila commenced the project on August 1, 2013, at the Place Royale in the Gombe commune of Kinshasa to accommodate ministerial cabinets and their attendant bureaucracies in the urban confines of Kinshasa. Fridolin Kasweshi, the Minister of Territorial Development, Urban Planning, Housing, Infrastructure, Public Works, and Reconstruction, stated that the project was expected to last 20 months. It was designed as an eleven-story building with a basement for technical services, a ground floor for housing protocol and security services, a bank branch, and a restaurant. The project's estimated cost was 200 million CDF, funded from resources resulting from the government's improvement of public finances management.

Unveiling

During the inauguration ceremony on July 20, 2015, following the 55th anniversary of independence, the Hôtel du Gouvernement was unveiled, revealing a nine-story building with an associated fiscal expenditure of $41 million. It boasts 135 offices for administrative staff, 16 conference halls, 133 offices for auxiliary staff, 6 elevators, toilet rim blocks, changing rooms and was constructed in accordance with international standards, prominently featuring fire safety protocols, an all-encompassing central air conditioning system, state-of-the-art acoustic apparatus, intranet networks, cable television infrastructure, dynamic display mechanisms, vigilant surveillance cameras, and power supply.

The conference and training rooms occupy the intermediate floor, while the eight contiguous levels are reserved exclusively for ministerial cabinets and their attendant bureaucracies. The terrace and heliport are on the roof level, while the subterranean stratum accommodates the technical services. The ground floor is allocated for protocol and security services, a bank, and a restaurant.

In 2023, Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde Kyenge inaugurated an emergency medical unit consisting of a reception area, a triage box for patient categorization, a doctor's office, two nurses' stations, a pharmacy, a laboratory replete with a screen for the examination of medical imagery and procedures, a VIP observation room, a standard observation room, and shower facilities.

See also

• Palais du Peuple
• Palais de la Nation
• Cité de l'Union Africaine
• Palais de Marbre

References

1. ^ "La RDC se dote d'un hôtel du gouvernement à Kinshasa" [The DRC has a government hall in Kinshasa]. Radio Okapi (in French). 2015-07-20. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
2. ^ Mayiro, Prince (2023-07-10). "Kinshasa : l'immeuble du gouvernement doté d'une unité médicale d'urgence". 7sur7.cd (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-08.
3. Rédaction, La (2015-07-20). "RDC : « L'immeuble Intelligent » a couté 41,7 millions USD" [DRC: “The Smart Building” cost 41.7 million USD]. Zoom-eco.net (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-08.
4. Kasongo, Ivan (2020-04-01). "RDC-Covid-19 : l'opération de décontamination de l'immeuble du gouvernement débute ce jeudi". Actualite.cd (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-08.
5. "Le Président Joseph Kabila inaugure l'hôtel du gouvernement" [President Joseph Kabila inaugurates the Government Hotel]. Journal (in French). 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
6. "French.news.cn-Afrique: toute l'actualité sur l'Afrique". french.xinhuanet.com (in French). 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
7. Tshibangu, Peter (July 21, 2015). "Congo-Kinshasa: Kinshasa - Joseph Kabila inaugure l'Hôtel du Gouvernement". Fr.AllAfrica.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-08.
8. "Le Président Kabila inaugure l'hôtel du Gouvernement". Mineco (in French). 2015-08-06. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
9. "Kinshasa: lancement des travaux de construction de l'hôtel du gouvernement" [Kinshasa: start of construction work on the government hotel]. Radio Okapi (in French). 2013-08-02. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
10. ^ "Joseph Kabila lance les travaux de construction de l'immeuble du gouvernement". www.congoplanete (in French). 2013-08-02. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
11. "RDC: le président Joseph Kabila inaugure le bâtiment administratif construit par la Chine" [DRC: President Joseph Kabila inaugurates the administrative building built by China]. www.focac.org (in French). 2017-12-13. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
12. ^ Rédaction, La (2015-07-20). "RDC: « L'immeuble Intelligent » a couté 41,7 millions USD" [DRC: "The Intelligent Building" cost 41.7 million USD]. Zoom-eco.net (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-08.

4°18′49″S 15°16′58″E / 4.3137°S 15.2827°E / -4.3137; 15.2827

• Buildings and structures in Kinshasa
• Buildings and structures completed in 2013
• Politics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Communes of Kinshasa