We were appointed by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, after a limited design competition, to provide a joint diplomatic building for the British, French, Dutch, German governments, the EEC and for DIFID. Each legation required its own scope areas but some facilities were to be shared. The building needed to be both secure and sustainable.
The parallel office floor plates allowed for variable internal areas for each legation with consequentially varying external terraces. The ‘Atrium’ space in the middle is covered but not internal – it is an open space and contributes to the natural ventilation whilst requiring no conditioning.
