Bernward Engelke

task

The thesis was designed parallel to a competition for the office building of the German embassy in Japan. It is to be located next to the existing residence on a 14500 m2 site in Minato-Ku, a central part of Tokyo.

design

As Germany is a part of the emerging European Union, and Tokyo is not just a Japanese, but a global city, the design does not simply reflect German or Japanese culture. Instead it creates a point of intersection between the openness required for cultural exchange and privacy required for security needs.

urban concept

The large public space, exceptional in the dense urbanity of Tokyo, offers an inviting gesture, complementary to the representative new building. The orientation of the building creates a dialogue with the public space, the existing residence and the embassy gardens. The square can be divided by the ballroom, and extends into the building.

building

This extension of the square becomes part of a frame, which defines the zone accessible to the public: passport administration, coffee shop, and library. The circulation zone, illuminated by a light reveal, reinforces the security concept by separating the public from the private areas. Within the dense mass of the building, the private zone includes galleries, offices and their internal communication system.

The layering of these various zones results in visual and functional connections of varying depth. Two penetrating elements emphasise the entrance zone, the ballroom and conference rooms. The main stairs provide a direct link to these rooms and the ambassador’s offices.

construction

The construction responds to the function of the various zones. The frame, closed by a glass façade with integrated sun protection, is strengthened by free standing columns The reinforced concrete skeleton constitutes the massive back of the building. The rear glass façade is protected by fixed stone lamellas. The flexible skeleton construction, based on a small grid, meets the earthquake building standards.

---

SCHUNCK cannot guarantee the correctness of content and expression. The participants themselves are responsible for their entries. The copyright of the projects underlies to the authors, any reproduction or use of the shown material is strictly forbidden.