Project Square

Project idea

Idea & Emplacement The concept of the project focuses on the very characteristic dry squares located in the Czech Republic. We seek to take this public space into the insides of the embassy building, adjusting it to the architectural project and its functions, altogether to create an athmosphere which resembles the experience of this characteristic space. We find ourselves with a rotated volume in the center of the plot, located as a landmark of the sector, in a very austere way. It preserves its hierarchy in the project set, in which is accompanied by a volume that stands on the ground with the same rotation angle as the main volume, serving this one and even inviting to take a glance towards it.

Project description

Functional Program We found us with 2 volume separated by a street requested in the program, the main volume is conformed by a square elevated with a dry square inside, it also have 3 perforation in the corners working as vertical circulation. It develop in two levels, the ground floor has the consular and administrative activities and the representative spaces of the embassy at the perimeter of the square, at the first floor we found the offices A and B of the embassy and the residencial buildings for the staff and the ambassador, the volume find itself between 2 green areas destined to the recreative activities such as tennis, swimming, a tukul, etc. With the access at the building we wanted to recreate the feeling of walking by the streets of Prague and arrive to the main square. The second volume is a line with the same angle of rotation as the embassy, so these can stablish a communication, in this volume are located the local workforce and its respective residences.

Technical information

The technique to be use is a dry system, based on normalized profiles IPE which will optimize times of construction and reduce error at the execution. The main structure of the embassy’s bulding was resolve with vierendeel beams which apart from playing the structural role, it highlight the internal perimetral circulation on the first floor, these beams rest on big concrete columns. Both the roof and the exterior walls of the square were made with stones, alluding the urban landscapes from Czech Republic’s cities. In the other hand, the exterior walls of the embassy use a Wooden curtain wall exposed to the fire (shou sugi ban technique) which gives much more durability and a remarkable esthetic quality, using this skin we try to resemble the dorze houses proper from the ethiopian culture.

Co-authors

With the architects: Patricia Rodriguez Anido, Augusto Montes de Oca, Miguel Mansueto