Czech Embassy in Addis Ababa

CTU in Prague - Faculty of Civil Engineering

Project idea

Simplicity, lightness and functionality, these are the main ideas of the project. According to these ideas the complex of five buildings was created. As materials to unite the whole complex monolitic concrete and glass were chosen, not only because of their representativeness, but also because of their connection with the Czech Republic. The buildings are arranged to divide the land into smaller units with different purposes. The office building, the residential building and the residence are shaped into letter L to create big representative garden with water area as its heart.

Project description

The land is divided by the inner road in two. Across this road the object of the local workforce is placed, separated from the rest of the complex. Thought of as a social housing, it contains four small flat units with approximately 40 square meters and two utility rooms. This building has its own private garden for residents.

The office building composed of two functional units - representative and administravite. The first floor hosts social and representative rooms. All of the representative rooms have immediate connection with representative terrace and garden. The second floor overlaps the first floor in its eastern part to create covered terrace for social events. The terrace and the second floor are illuminated by the rectangle shaped atrium. The second floor is used for offices and serves nearly exclusively to employees. The corridor can be divided into sections for more security. In case of an event a driver and a guest arrive in front of the buidling and driver parks the car on "green" parking lot made of ecoraster tiles. Employees can park under the building in garages. The underground floor contains technical and storage facilities.

The residence is two storey buidling composed of representative areas along with spacious guest room in the first floor and the flat of the ambassador on the second floor. The flat is enriched by the atrium inserted to the middle of disposition, which serves as a small, personal garden. The ambassador and his family have their own garden in the northern part of the land easily accessible from the terrace on the second floor or from the representative garden.

The residential building is three storey object, which is turning its back to the representative garden showing only glazed vertical communication. The building opens up to the southeastern part of the land, to the garden of the residents. This garden is thought of as a very calm, almost zen-like calm, for the employees and their families to relax. The building itself contains 10 flats of different sizes and covered garages for the residents in the underground. Each flat has its own balcony along with the bay window, usually in the living room, oriented to the garden. Residents can also use multifunctional playground which belongs to the building.

The consular and visa building is rather small object located in the northeastern corner of the land. It has its own entrance for applicants, who will park their car outside of the Czech embassy premises, so the security of the whole complex is not compromised. The building is strictly separated into guests and employees areas to ensure safety.

Technical information

The main materials used are monolitic concrete and glass. The concrete is used for the load-bearing structures aswell as facade in form of architectual concrete. The facade is designed as ventilated with insulation and cladding out of profiled glass or architectual concrete. The profiled glass is used for its transparency, protection and shading. For additional shading, especially to the south, sunblinds can be added behind the profiled glass.

Co-authors

Ladislav Kalivoda, Petra Novotná