Cricket: The Lord’s of East Africa

Perhaps not immediately obvious for everyone, but this sport is also practiced in Rwanda; cricket! The Gahanga Cricket Stadium (GCS) opened in October 2017 and is referred to as the ‘Lord’s of East Africa’. The African Cricket Stadium consists of a certified ICC wicket with pavilion, bar and community facilities. The stadium has already been nominated for prestigious international architecture awards and rolled out as the winner of the ArchDaily Building of the Year Award in 2018.

The complex of three vaults is designed to mimic the course of a bouncing ball, but at the same time it resembles the rolling hills of Rwanda. The striking structure consists of 66,000 tiles mainly made from locally excavated earth. The tiles are all handmade, largely using local workers who participate in the social protection program (the Vision Umurenge project).

The nice thing is that in addition to cricket matches, corporate events can also be held such as team building activities and company drinks. With its unique view over the hills of Kigali, it also provides a romantic setting for an unforgettable wedding.

More information on the wiki-page about GCS

Foto-credits: Jonathan Gregson