Sonja Baade

The main concern in the conceptual design of an embassy of the Federal Republic in another country is to assign to a limited spatial area definite architectural characteristics particular to Germany.

Therefore the aim was the creation of an open building with its own individual identity, defined from the outside by clear lines whilst observing safety aspects but with an interior whose configuration exudes the interplay between the exterior and the inner-space.
A subtractive design process is employed that links the interior spaces differentiating the open areas from the private.
The various functions of the embassy require a clear structure, dedicated forecourts and entrances created with the entity as a whole transformed into an experience with the dramatic interaction of views.
The visitor is transposed into an individual environment with its very own architectural language.

Encapsulated on a single-story on the Avenue de Tervueren, it is here that one enters the commonly accessible foyer.
Connected to this the first inner courtyard, which can be used as expanded multipurpose event area.
The second courtyard is reached via a clearly defined passageway. With its silent adjoining water feature, this forms the entrance to the administrative areas.
Above these, the third inner courtyard, the embassy reception area, is accessed by means of the wide staircase.
Directly behind this area, the embassy’s reception rooms are visible through the large glass entrance facade.
Offset in a single storey, the fourth inner courtyard forms the internal open space for the ambassador’s offices and communications areas.

Seen as a whole, the building is a multifaceted and engrossing entity.
For me it was, therefore, an important goal was to comprehend architecture as a spatial experience that can excite users and visitors alike through the use of diverse areas without losing the idea of unity of the complete structure.

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