Czech Embassy in Addis Abbeba

CTU in Prague - Faculty of Architecture

Project idea

The main purposes and the tasks of the whole project as we set them were to successfully represent Czech republic by designing a safe, functionally fully suitable, visually remarkable, timeless and attractive piece of architecture. (Order of these aspects corresponds to their importance.) The representation of the country in our eyes, however, does not necessary have to be or even must not be tied up by the need of „carrying the torch“ of Czech historical heritage. But it is thoroughly free in its visuality. Because what is not considered Czech architecture in the phase of projecting, will be, once it’s bulit.

Project description

High safety requirements determined the maximal number of above-ground floors – two. Altogether with one subterraneous floor, the number of three is the fine line between functionality and security.
The area of the site, being rather vast, was split by the buildings into several possibly separately-functioning parts. For details see the scheme.
The proposed outer architecture – facade – is designed as a simple derivation of the inside of the building, corresponding also to the construction system. The building therefore stays true to itself and to its surroundings.
The main objects/spaces – residence of the ambassador and the representative hall are connected through the representative garden by being aligned to the same axis.

The OFFICIAL EMBASSY BUILDING consists of two wings, which have separated and controlled entries from south.
The eastern wing offers spatially generous representative ground floor, where the main corridor by the garden leads directly to the representative hall. In the eastern part of the wing is the consular and visa office located. This office is part of the building in terms of the mass, but practically it's separated. In the second floor are the office sections A, B and D, while the C section is under the terrain level.
The north wing has only residential purpose.

The RESIDENCE is divided into two parts, representative and private part of the ambassador. The whole mass of the building is composed of smaller blocks with the same aspect ratio. In the centre of the building, there is an atrium, which creates an inner private garden. Due to the atrium, ground floor is nearly fully transparent, with a possibility of zoning the rooms by blinding the inner atrium. Unlike the ground floor, the upper one is fully closed by the outer wall, which also provides shading for the ground floor and which is creating safely closed fortress of the first floor.

BUILDING FOR LOCAL WORKFORCE is formed by two tracts divided by the garden between them. The object creates spaces shared by the community with reasonable measure of privacy. The southern tract is common for the workers and the northern consists of 4 private housings. Every housing has its private garden, which is partly opened to the shared one. Residents can adjust their own privacy by pulling curtains over the windows.

Technical information

All buildings are devised in the modular grid of 1,5 m, apart from the residential part (made in module of 4 m). The buildings‘ composition forms a central, representative garden in the inside. The most attractive place, the safest place, the heart of the site.

MATERIALS used in throughout the complex are mostly concrete, accompanied by glass, which allows the beautiful spaces outside to be part of the interior and other way around. Another materials used are and would be dark iron, plastic and oak wook in the interior.
Thermal requirements of the buildings should not be too high, as the shape of the building is rather compact and yearly average temperature of the area is around 16°C.

Co-authors

doc. Ing. arch. Zdeněk Rothbauer, Ing. arch. Vojtěch Sosna, Ing. arch. Veronika Kovářová, Ing. arch. Karel Filsak

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