Netherlands Embassy - Claus en Kaan Architecten

The Dutch Embassy in Mozambique is located on the outskirts of the center of Maputo, close to the sea. The building has been situated on the edge of the rectangular, gently sloping site to create space for a walled garden.

Netherlands Embassy, Maputo (Mozambique)

The building faces South, the cool side in the southern hemisphere, and is much more closed on the northern side to allow light but not heat to enter the building. The climatological considerations that played a large part in the design coincide with the desire to hide the untidy area behind the building from sight.

Netherlands Embassy, Maputo (Mozambique)

The building and enclosing walls are conceived as a rough concrete monolith from which a part has been removed to create an opening and space for the garden. The garden wall and the short sides of the L-shaped complex are in rough concrete.

Netherlands Embassy, Maputo (Mozambique)

The embassy itself lies on the other side of the filigree steel frame of a veranda that faces the opening. This motif is derived from the local Portuguese colonial architecture.

Netherlands Embassy, Maputo (Mozambique)

The building consists of a rectangular volume with the offices on the garden side, the facilities in a central zone, and a two-storey circulation zone along the south wall.

Netherlands Embassy, Maputo (Mozambique)

The rough concrete of the exterior recurs in the floor and roof. A wooden box that lies in the space as an independent element is formed by the floor of the intermediate level and the ceiling of the ground floor. The facilities for both floors are incorporated in this box.