The Bê Lagoon: Lomé's hidden treasure
A stone's throw from downtown, the Bê lagoon unfolds six kilometers of preserved shores, its migratory birds and its silence. A treasure that East Lake Park elevates without altering.
Loméans have always known it, but often turn their backs on it. The Bê lagoon — “East lagoon” in local nomenclature — stretches between the city and the ocean, forming a crescent of calm water bordered by mangroves and casuarinas. It is there, on its northern shore, that East Lake Park takes its place.
For Reliance West Africa, this choice is no accident. It answers a conviction: the world's most beautiful cities were built at the water's edge. Geneva on Lake Geneva, Boston on the Charles River, Stockholm on its archipelago. Lomé has long awaited its inhabited shore.
The work of East Lake Park begins with the lagoon itself. Before laying the first stone, we commissioned environmental studies to understand the ecosystem: migratory birds (over 80 species recorded in wet season), fish, indigenous plants. The masterplan respects strict ecological margins — no building extends over the water, and 30% of the site is dedicated to green spaces and nature.
The 1.4 km shore promenade will be open to the public — residents and Loméans. Pedestrian, shaded, punctuated with benches, observation pontoons and terraced cafés. A new address for urban strolling.
This is what "Beyond Ordinary Living" means: not turning your back on your city's beauty. Looking it in the eyes, and revealing it.
— Rédaction East Lake Park