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Safari Style
UK
September 2002

Safari Style

By the shores of lake Naivasha, Dodo Cunningham-Reid continues the grand English tradition of building follies. Inspired by the whimsical structures built by 19th Century aristocrats in her husband's native Britain, Cunningham-Reid devised plans for her own 20th Century folly. Such disregard for convention came as no surprise no surprise to her husband, whose stepmother was Diana, Lady Delamere of happy Valley notoriety.

The soaring folly began as a series of rough sketches and evolved over four years into a monument to Kenya's wide-open spaces and rich natural resources. The completed eight-storied tower stretches 115 feet into the treetops, with each of the levels boosting views of the Lake and Aberdare mountains. What may have seemed like an outlandish venture in her native Germany, was possible in Africa largely due to the ready availability of the quality timbers that were required for the project. The steel frame of the Pagoda is clad in cypress, and the interior richly paneled with African hardwoods. Cypress was used for the floors and ceilings and mahogany for the paneling in the kitchen, lounge room and dining rooms.

Despite the exterior impression of a fairytale fortress, the tower's living areas have been devised by Cunningham-Reid to provide a relaxed and calming environment for the couple's weekend escapes. From the lounge room on the lower level to the tiny meditation room at the top, the interior scheme has been carefully thought out, with much of the furniture made locally to Cunningham-Reid's specifications. The mood is overwhelmingly romantics with lots of special touches – crystal vases full of roses in every room and crisp white linen on the magnificent beds- recalling the spirit of colonial luxury.