Netherlands Embassy Mozambique
The Netherlands Embassy in Mozambique is located on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Maputo. The building is a rough concrete monolith rising from an L-shaped plan on a gently sloping rectangular plot along a busy avenue. Space has been carved out of the monolith, creating a walled garden in the middle of the plot.
Behind the entrance in the northern corner of the building, three main zones unfold, including a monumental double-height circulation space along the north façade. The ground and first floors house a central area with a library, conference rooms and registry, while the offices face the garden. The building opens up towards the south with a sequence of transparent offices lined with a veranda that allows natural light in, but not heat. The gaps in the fencing allow glimpses into the garden and create a semi-open transition to the street, enhancing the connection with the city.
The Embassy merges with its surroundings by using common local materials: concrete for the façades, enriched with filigree detailing, indigenous wood for the fence, and twelve ornate Poinciana trees planted in the garden.
Info
- Location
- Maputo, MZ
- Date
- 1999–2004
- Size
- 2,510 sqm
- Client
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Team
- Dikkie Scipio, Hannes Ochmann, Kees Kaan, Kim Sneyders, Pasquale Talerico, Patricia Medina Prieto, Sara Martin Camara, Sibil Strauli, Valery Didelon, Vincent Panhuysen
- Photography
- Christian Richters
- General contractor
- Concor Moçambique Lda
- Structural Engineer
- Structural Engineer
- Construction advisors
- Pieters Bouwtechniek, SKC Engineers, Technica, Carlos Quadros
- Installations advisors
- Spoormaker & Partners INC, Africon Consulting
- Construction managers
- EQF Project Managers (Pty) Ltd, SIP Project Managers (Pty) Ltd
