The village of lines- Embassy of Czech Republic in Ethiopia

The German University in Cairo

Project idea

The main goal of the project is to develop an area suitable for a better living and environment to the embassy.The buildings are located on the edges of the site which would define the streets. The idea was to create transitions that guide you from one place to another. It can be corridors, paths, or streets. It changes according to the privacy level. It was inspired by the city of Prague; the idea of small corridors between buildings that lead you from open public space to another. Czech Republic is a country where greenery is a main feature and the simplicity of how the greenery and the buildings are working together. This was an important approach of the project. All functions of the site are connected by a pedestrian path located in the center of the site. The brief was to use the chancery to express Czech Republic commitment to and importance in Europe while taking some inspiration from the context ,architecture and weather of Ethiopia. The Water represent the long tradition of ponds in Czech Republic.

Project description

First, The site is divided into two levels. Level one ; South of the site; contains the official part and level two; North of the site; contains the residential part. This will provide privacy for both. There are two main streets that serve the official part, one main street (that connects the south street to the North and separate local workforce and main parking from the other part of the site) for the main entrance and exit to the site. The other main street (that connects the south street to the East) is for the visa building, drop off street. What connects both levels are the representative garden which is common between the embassy and the ambassador building and a pedestrian path that enables workers living there to go to work. The buildings are L-shaped buildings to allow sun to enter in the whole and this helps to make the building close to each other with a visual connection at a walk able distance that makes it easy fro people living there and the car is not needed anymore. The buildings are set back to back, giving each buildings its private garden other than the common leisure spaces. All facades of all buildings are directed at the same direction except of one facade in the chancery which is inclined and that makes it unique to become the main entrance to the embassy and contains also the flags + the name of the embassy. There are two main gardens; the representative garden that is big enough for events with a shaded terrace ; and the embassy forest with a representative tukul, which is something cultural in Ethiopia.

Technical information

The weather in Ethiopia changes every month, sometimes it's rainy and cloudy and sometimes it's really sunny and the sun is 90 degrees direct, therefore, to adapt to this weather the roofs are inclined and the water is then used for the gardens. Moreover, some part of the buildings are shifted (sometimes cantilevered) and elevated by columns so people can find outdoor spaces protected from the weather. To minimize the heat from entering inside, the walls are composed of three layers, one is the wall itself then a gap that helps for the ventilation inside the building, then cladding material resistant to the heat. There are three special features used in the site, the first one is standing columns to separate functions. The spaces between the columns depend on the privacy and accessibility. The second feature is trees, to avoid visual connection. The last feature is terraces, each building has at least two common terrace. There are two main terraces with a view, one terrace cantilevered located on the first floor of the embassy and has accessibility with an outdoor stairs to the embassy forest. The other shaded terrace, located on the first floor of the ambassador building, has a view of all of the representative garden and has also accessibility with an outdoor stairs. Both terraces have wooden roofs that give the feeling of outdoor environment. Finally, the materials used in the buildings and outdoors are common and the colors used are light and suitable with the outdoor environment. There are two sizes of wood used, one for the outdoor standing columns , and the other size which is much smaller is a movable wooden panels used as shading elements for the windows (curtains). Then, Limestone cladding with a pattern, used only on the first floor of the embassy that gives the feeling of work and the heavy weight on the light weighted ground floor which contains mostly glass. Moreover, reflective glass for the windows and handrails reflecting the greenery all over the site. Last, light paint for the residence