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Where there’s a will, there’s a way. A new 2-ton roof was hoisted and assembled for New Life Evangelical Church in Lomé, Togo, in West Africa, with the help of a crew of 14 community and church members.
To streamline the installation process, Dunn Lightweight Architecture, Houston, Texas, manufactured the membrane in a single piece measuring 1,160 square meters (12,486 square feet) at its plant in Mexico.
Lifting the dome on top of the church required a massive crane. While searching for one, project manager Gustavo Márquez spent weeks training the community members as a contingency plan. A crane big enough was not available in the country, so the extension and positioning of the membrane was done manually after a smaller crane got the membrane to the edge of the roof.
With its golden dome, the church building stands out as a local landmark, as it’s the tallest building in the area. “The logo and golden color were inspired by the church’s construction committee, as it represents this building as an architectural jewel in Lomé,” Márquez says. In a city of 2 million people, the church aims to seat 10,000 per service, he says, with Christmas and the new year seeing 50,000 people through its doors for several services.
The project concluded with a ceremony attended by participants and their families and church ministers. “This event highlighted the community’s gratitude and excitement for being part of such a significant project,” wrote Márquez in the notes about the project in its entry into the International Achievement Awards. “Thanks to Geometrica for their excellent design, we achieved a project that not only fulfilled its functional purpose but also became a symbol of collaboration and progress for the community of Lomé.”