Iwan Baan

The Embassy of Switzerland in Nairobi, Kenya by Roeoesli Maeder Architects features a polygonal pigmented concrete facade

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The Embassy of Switzerland in Nairobi, Kenya by Roeoesli Maeder Architects features a polygonal pigmented concrete facade. The building responds to it’s slopy site topography, emerging from the perimeter wall and ending in a two storey building in the center of the site, thereby creating a spiral like form.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

[via archidatum]

The Swiss federal office for buildings and logistics recently acquired a piece of land for the construction of a new embassy in the Rosslyn green estate, a residential area just outside the centre of Nairobi.

The scheme from Roeoesli Maeder Architects explores separating the property from the environment for safety reasons, the local situation being defined primarily by the perimeter wall that takes into account the existing distinctive trees, and simultaneously directs the arrivals to the entrances.

Drawings courtesy Afasia archzine

The outgrowth of the building from the perimeter wall creates a spiral like spatial figure, which begins in the south-eastern corner of the building, framing the entire property and ending in a two storey building in the center. The building responds to the slightly sloping topography on average by a split level arrangement of the projectiles.

Construction Images

The right of way and the gardens are connected via the meander path, as well as the building-penetrating lobby. This forms the central fulcrum of the plant. The building envelope and the surrounding wall are executed in pigmented exposed concrete. These rough walls are combined with flooring made of a local blue stone which also continues in the garden path and window and door elements in wood.

PROJECT DETAILS

[via design boom]
  • Competition (Open Procedure): 2011
  • Realization: October 2014 – August 2016
  • Location: Embassy of Switzerland, Nairobi, Kenya
  • Plot Area: 4,046 sqm
  • Footprint: 770 sqm
  • Usable Area: 1,512 sqm
  • Main Usable Area: 849 sqm
  • Volume As Per SIA 116: 6,120 m3
  • Photography: Iwan Baan and Fabio Idini
  • Client: Swiss Conferderation, Federal Office For Building And Logistics FOBL
    Project Manager: Jodok Brunner
  • Client’s Representative in Nairobi: Bautop 2001
    Collaboration: René Häni
  • Architect: Ro.Ma. Roeoesli & Maeder Gmbh, Dipl. Architekten Eth Bsa
    Collaboration: Christian Maeder, Philipp Röösli, Adrian Rogger
  • Local Architect: DMJ Architects
    Collaboration: Simon Johnson
  • Project Management: Mentor Management Ltd.
    Collaboration: Andrew Ward, Lawrence Mureithi
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