- Façade engineering on the first post-apartheid South African embassy.
- Arup also provided building services and structural engineering design on the four-storey building in Berlin.
The first South African embassy to be built after the end of apartheid was designed by architects MMA. The embassy is made of native South African sandstone and evokes the warmth and colour of the country.
Details of the embassy have been beautifully designed to reflect South African art and culture and, at the same time, acknowledge its location in Berlin.
The building is four storeys high, complementing the height of neighbouring embassies. It has a flat roof and a large central atrium with bright accessible corridors. Landscaping on the roof is extensive, with intensive planting in the terrace area. The space above the atrium is crowned with an elegant steel structure incorporated into the roof assembly.
The façade is ventilated sandstone rain-screen cladding divided with horizontal aluminium profiles. The profiles provide structure and definition to the sandstone cladding and the window areas. Accommodating the external louvres, they offer individual shading for the lower and upper parts of the window. This ensures that all spaces get sufficient natural daylight even when sunshades are used for individual workplaces.
The canopy and façade of the entry area consist of button-fixed glass panels, linking the building to its surroundings and referencing the central atrium.
The atrium itself is intended to represent a South African ‘kraal’, yet at the same time be reminiscent of Berlin's characteristic inner courtyards. The atrium is covered by a glass roof whose shape is inspired by the traditional dwelling of the Nguni people.
This clever design helped the building to receive the coveted Award for Excellence from the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) in 2006.
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