The complex of buildings of the Czech Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Project idea

The overall architectural and planning concept of the project is to create in Ethiopia a small corner of the old European city as a reminder of Prague and the old Czech settlements.

Project description

The building of the Embassy offices and the residential building are stretched along the perimeter of the site, in the center of which a closed landscaped area for recreation, walks and meetings in the fresh air is designed. This area, located with a small difference in levels, which are separated by retaining walls, should also remind the Embassy staff of the old European urban landscapes. The common traditional perimeter of the buildings, copying the shape of the plot, complements the non-standard shape and location of the ground garage. Its dynamic composition is also designed to create a single spatial environment with buildings and interior. You can enter the territory of the Embassy from two sides. The main entrance is from the garage and office area where visitors are received. The second, additional, entrance is between public and residential buildings. Here comes the car with food for the kitchen.
The red-brick style of the facades corresponds well not only with the ancient European architecture, but also with the old Ethiopian buildings, which have a reddish color. The small number of stores of the Embassy buildings (2 floors) also corresponds in General to the urban fabric of Addis Ababa. High pitched roofs with a full attic space, characteristic of the old European cities, in this case is quite appropriate, as well protect the second floor of the building from overheating in the tropical climate of Ethiopia.
For the planning structure of the office building, a gallery type is proposed. All rooms of halls, offices, archives, toilets, kitchens, etc. are interconnected by means of open (non-glazed) galleries with shade and good ventilation. For the climate of Ethiopia – warm and humid – gallery structure of the building is the most suitable. And the gallery for foreign offices, where they take visitors, and galleries for interior ambassadorial work is not linked. The second floor of the office building is entirely occupied by premises for internal Embassy work. External visitors cannot get to the stairs leading to the 2nd floor. The two wings of the Embassy are almost perpendicular to each other. At their intersection is a public area for large receptions with a conference room for 150 people. In front of the hall there is a large lobby group with a wardrobe, toilets and exhibition space. The lobby with a conference room has a separate entrance from the inside of the Embassy. Above the conference hall on the roof is an outdoor Seating area. Another outdoor Seating area, covered with pergolas from excessive sun, is located above the lobby. It is half a floor below a large outdoor Seating area and visually separated from it. It is designed for the rest of the staff: here are galleries from both wings of the building. From here there is a good overview of the interior with gardens, swimming pool, gazebos, benches, stairs.
Residential apartments for Embassy staff are designed in the amount and size of the total area provided by the competition program. They represent a line of individual blocked residential buildings in 2 floors connected on the first floor by an open through gallery. The gallery can only be accessed through the lobby between the residential building and the Embassy's inner area with a hall, toilet and dining room, above which there are rooms for couriers. Each apartment house has a separate exit to the garden and the inner territory of the complex.
A small building for incoming local staff is located separately and visually closes the overall composition of the buildings on the territory. This building has a convenient functional connection with all parts of the Embassy, primarily with the garage.
The nature of the architecture proposed in the project is designed not only to create visual and planning comfort for employees of the Embassy – citizens of the Czech Republic, but also for some familiarization of local residents with the basics of the old European architectural tradition.

Technical information

The main materials of construction of the projected object are: monolithic reinforced concrete and brick (hollow and clay). Combined structural scheme - frame-wall. The walls are made of bricks, the columns are monolithic, the ceiling is of monolith along reinforced concrete beams. The embassy’s dimensions are 70 mx 8 m. The foundation is presented in the form of a monolithic reinforced concrete slab 400 mm thick.

Co-authors

Irina Melnikova