Casablanca is the New York City of Morocco. With it’s five million people, it’s the largest urban centre of Morocco. We moved here from Florida for the many designs and patterns Morocca has to offer. My husband (Abdelilah Elomari) is from Casablanca, and we moved back here to start a business with our friend (Soufiane Derouech). Our business, Origami Concept, is an industrial design and digital fabricati0n company – we do anything from interior, exterior, furniture and urban design, etc. The design and pattern Morocco has lead us to modernise the design, which allows us to create people’s vision in reality.
Casablanca is known for being an industrial city – its urban design has grown and strengthened in the last couple of years, which makes for a beautiful country to live in. Casablanca, a melting pot of cultures, colours and rhythms, fascinates the visitor by its richness, its multi-faceted culture and beautiful architecture displaying Art Deco, Moorish and Islamic arts.
Published:
04.03.2015
Writer:
Danielle Pasquale
Although Casablanca may not be the capital of this country, it is Morocco’s economic powerhouse. It has the largest international airport and its port is one of the largest in Africa. While developed countries are witnessing an economic slowdown, the African continent continues to stand out as a major source of global growth.
Morocco created the Casablanca Finance City Authority in 2010 to put Morocco on the map as a financial city that helps further the development of Africa and specifically the development of the countries of north, west, and central Africa. Morocco is the third-largest producer of phosphates (after the United States and China) and the price fluctuations of phosphates on the international market greatly influence Morocco’s economy.
"Casablanca welcomes culture lovers. Its many palaces, museums, exhibitions and clubs bring cultural life to the heart of the city."
Casablanca welcomes culture lovers. Its many palaces, museums, exhibitions and clubs bring cultural life to the heart of the city. 24 hours are not enough to visit all the city’s cultural centres, libraries, museums and theatres (Mohammed VI theatre, Abderrahman Slaoui Foundation Museum, La Villa des Arts, the former slaughterhouse transformed in a cultural space, I- Max 3D theatre, the Anfa cultural complex, the French Institute, Casa Del Arte, Twin Center Auditorium, the Goethe Cultural Center, Instituto Cervantes, the Studio of Performing Arts). The city hosts several annual festivals like the Jazzablanca Festival, Festival Theatre & Culture, Festival Casa Music or the Casablanca International Comedy Festival.
The Moroccan national dish is the tajine, a lamb or poultry stew. Other common ingredients may include almonds, hard-boiled eggs, prunes, lemons, tomatoes, and other vegetables. The tajine, like other Moroccan dishes, is known for its distinctive flavouring, which comes from spices including saffron, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, and ground red pepper. The tajine’s name is taken from the distinctive earthenware dish with a cone-shaped top in which it is cooked and served. Another Moroccan dish is couscous, made from fine grains of a wheat product called semolina. It is served many different ways, with vegetables, meat, or seafood.
Casablanca has become a place I call home. From the culture, food, and people is why I love Morocco and glad that it has become my home.
Born in Delaware and raised in Florida, Danielle Pasquale is International Resources Director at Origami Concept. Contact Origami Concept at Concept.origami@gmail.com or Elomari Design at Elomari.design@gmail.com.
