This building, the Malindi House, is located not far from the shoreline and the Stone Town ferry terminal in a neighborhood of the same name (though the direction and nature of the relationship between the two is unknown to me). The word in Swahili means holes or drains, and could reference the proximity to the sea.
The facade is a rough, white material resembling the plaster made of crushed seashells historically used by builders in this region. As a large, multi-story edifice made of permanent materials, this structure conveys both prosperity of the financier, and the stability of whatever personal or professional venture was to take place within. Three large, red wooden doors are symmetrically aligned along the side facing an open square and a mosque, and are set several feet above street level to mitigate flooding. The doors, while of impressive size, are not ornately carved and decorated in the fashion that conveyed the wealth and cosmopolitan style of the Zanzibari elite. Indeed, the style of the building is quite incongruous among the characteristic Arab-influenced architecture of old Stone Town. The linear symmetry of the top story, and geometric ornamentations are evocative of art deco, though the date on the building, 1940, falls about a decade after the period in which this style was most in vogue. Shuttered windows at the top may indicate a desire for personal or professional privacy.
Whatever the motivation behind the construction, it seems clear that this building is still in use, as it has been maintained. The exterior is brilliantly white, unblemished and structurally intact, all of which are challenges pitted against the constant decaying effects of the seaside environment.
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