The Embassy of Czech Republic in Addis Ababa

Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction, National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia

Project idea

The project of the Czech Embassy in the capital of Ethiopia Addis Ababa aims to create an environment that brings together different people and ensures the exchange of different cultures right from the entrance to the embassy with the help of open architecture. Striving for simplicity and clarity we tried to create the most comfortable and friendly environment for people. The principle of the design is to create one complex from four separate buildings, which will have international architecture's characteristics and will not recognize age and nationality.

Project description

The embassy consists of 4 buildings and each of them has one or two floors. The area is 13000 sq m, of which 2570 sq m is built up. The place is almost flat.
The three dimensional composition of the complex stems from the site’s location in the city, its streets and entrances. It forms a half open courtyard, where water surfaces and trees create a unique micro climate. In order to protect against heat and sun, the buildings are interconnected by horizontal wooden elements (pergolas) that ensure the integrity of the complex and create an interesting game of lights and shadows.
There are four car entrances to the embassy site: one from the south-west and one from the north-west of the site for official guests and two from the east for the ambassador and residents. In the western part of the district, there is an open parking space for 17 cars. In the southwestern and northwestern parts of the site there are parking spaces for official guests, each of them adapted for 5 cars.
The complex is designed with flat roofs of small slopes for drainage.
The construction system of the complex is made from monolithic and composite reinforced concrete.
Concrete and glass were used for facing the buildings’ facades. Horizontal and vertical elements, which aim to separate the spaces from each other, are made of wood and concrete.
The site is divided to three zones: accessible representative public spaces, designed for the personal use of the ambassador and designed for the personal use of the residents.
Gardens in front of the main building of the Embassy and Consulate and Visa premises have public accesses. The representative garden is formed in the area between the consulate and the main embassy buildings.
The zone designed for the ambassador’s personal use is in the south-eastern part of the district. There are located a swimming pool, a recreation area, as well as a private closed garage for two cars.
The residential zone occupies the central part of the complex. There are swimming pool, playground, recreation area and a platform with fire for cultural and everyday gatherings.
The landscape of the area has been carried out with local climate-typified trees and plants.

Technical information

The main building of the embassy is in the southwestern part of the complex. The building has two floors. The main entrance is from the south, under the triangular balcony. Employees are expected to have entrances from the northern and northeastern sides of the building. There are also ramps provided.
The main building of the embassy has 3 security and functional zones: accessible representative spaces for people(here are situated the lobby (entrance hall), cloakroom, 3 conference rooms, representative rooms with a hall for 150 people and a dining room for 30 people), the zone available only for embassy staff (here are provided 15 offices and working rooms), and a strictly confidential security zone with 2 workstations, small kitchen and sanitary facilities.
On the first floor there are representative halls, offices with separate entrances, as well as technical and economic (security room, kitchen, warehouse) and sanitary facilities adapted for women, men and people with disabilities.
The second floor is V-shaped. It is completely occupied by offices. Here is also a secret security area, where, for security reasons, are not designed any windows.
There are two staircases in the building, which connect offices with first floor’s representative spaces and at the same time are closed by a door in order not to attract the visitors.
The glazed atrium makes the main building lighter and more spacious.

The Consulate is one-story building located in the northern part of the complex. The main entrance of the Consulate is from the northern part of the site and is adapted for the people with disabilities. The entrance for the staff is in the southern part of the building, which is connected with the staff offices by a corridor and lobby. Here are included the security checkpoints, waiting room for the visitors of Visa and Consulate departments, 2 meeting rooms, 4 offices with the security windows, small kitchen for employees, bathrooms for visitors and staff.

The ambassador's residence is located in the southeastern part of the complex. It is designed as a separate building, based on the premises of the embassy complex. The entrances are separated from each other: main representative access for official events, access to the private part of the ambassador's apartment, access to the visitors’ studio.
The building has two floors. On the first floor, there are representative halls, representative kitchen, living room and kitchen of the ambassador's private use. Here is situated a guestroom also. Representative spaces serve for official events and gatherings organized by the ambassador.
The private sector of the house is separated from the representative premises of the same building. It is situated on the second floor. Here are 3 bedrooms, with their sanitary facilities, and the ambassador's work-space.

When designing a residential building, the site, relief and the number of residents were taken into account. Floor planning solutions are designed to meet the functional requirements and to ensure the comfortable interconnection of the inner premises.
Here are combined two functional buildings: a building for local workforce and a residential building of the embassy staff.
The building for the local workforce consists of 3 social apartments, as well as working rooms for both technical and economic uses. The entrance to the building is from the northern part of the site.
Residential building is next to the building for the local workforce. The entrance to the building is from the eastern part of the site. Here embassy’s staffs’ apartments, gardens and recreational spaces are planned to be built.
On the first floor, there are 4 apartments (1+ small kitchen, 3 x 2 + 1).
The second floor occupies the entire building. There are 5 apartments (1+ small kitchen, 2 x 4 + 1, 2 x 3 + 1). All the apartments in this building have balconies. The divisions of the residential building's facades’ windows and balconies show the building's function.

Created in: