SIF cancels Aldabra House project |30 July 2019
The Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) has announced it is cancelling its Aldabra House project which has faced challenges from competing development in the area.
The cancellation is a source of great regret for SIF, which has been planning the project over the last seven years with the aim of giving everyone the chance to experience the magic of Aldabra Atoll, the remote and inaccessible Unesco World Heritage site.
Aldabra House was conceived as an interactive visitor centre based on Mahé which would feature a fully immersive multimedia exhibition using cutting-edge technology to inspire and educate its visitors.
Sadly, the plot of land which had been designated for Aldabra House sits within an area undergoing extremely dense infrastructure development. SIF feels that the level of building which has been proposed in the area surrounding the site is not compatible with the design concept of Aldabra House, especially the planned outdoor exhibition.
After careful consideration and extensive discussion, SIF’s Board of Trustees took the difficult decision to cancel the project.
Dr Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, chief executive of SIF, said: “We deeply regret the cancellation of this project for which we have spent considerable time and effort planning over many years. Aldabra is a national treasure of Seychelles and of enormous importance for the whole world. I am passionate about finding ways to share Aldabra with Seychellois and ensure that future generations are inspired to protect this unique and wonderful place.”
SIF will be exploring other educational and outreach opportunities to engage the public with its research and conservation work on Aldabra. SIF remains committed to raising awareness about its research and conservation work at both its Unesco World Heritage sites, Aldabra and the Vallée de Mai.
The SIF is a non-profit charitable organisation that was established as a public trust by the government of Seychelles in 1979. SIF manages and protects the Unesco World Heritage Sites of Aldabra Atoll and the Vallée de Mai and has the President of Seychelles, Danny Faure, as Patron. Aldabra was designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1982 as a prime example of a raised coral atoll.
SIF communique