An Australian-German team has been announced as the First Prize recipient in the initial phase of a competition to design the chancellery and residence for the German Embassy in Canberra, the site of which is home to a collection of buildings dating back to 1958.
The first stage in the three-phase competition, conducted by the German government, has been won by Richter Musikowski, a Berlin-based firm, and Lahznimmo Architects with Spackman Mossop Michaels Landscape Architects, both based in Sydney. Specialist consultants ADP Consulting and Daniel Butterick Consulting were also involved.
In response to the competition brief, which called for “demolition and reconstruction of the chancellery, along with the renovation or partial preservation of the residence building,” the winning design proposes a new, three-storey chancellery building and extends the existing residence building with a two-storey pavilion to the east of the corner site.
The architects note that the separation of the embassy’s structures maintains the site’s urban proportions and preserves views of Black Mountain in the city’s north-west, while at the scale of the plot, the scheme is “characterised by the landscape and topography of the site, the oval of the lawn, and the surrounding treetops to the west and south,” which “naturally describe a gently sloping, space-forming arch.”
“The new pergola roof complements this emerging space and connects both the buildings and the natural space with each other to create a representative yet intimate, poetic garden,” the designers note.
Being ovular in shape, the garden is intended to serve as “a metaphor for the relationship between Germany and Australia, and the aspirations of both countries for equality and openness, democracy and inclusion.”
“The inhabited spaces under the curved canopy, the grassland and the landscaped path that surrounds it will encourage the sharing of experiences, the exchange of ideas and the strengthening of existing relationships between Germany and Australia,” the architects observe.
Led by Spackman Mossop Michaels, the landscape design draws conceptually on the “genius loci” of place, adopting species of the Monaro Grasslands, such as snow gum eucalyptus trees, as well as native grasses and wildflowers – which, the designers note, offer the opportunity to propagate the seeds of endangered species.
The scheme also transforms the previous energy- and water-intensive landscape into a new, drought-resistant garden that requires minimal maintenance and irrigation.
Architecturally, the winning scheme adopts the motif of the “shady garden,” with a structured soffit and light openings designed to create a variety of intermediate spaces with informal facilities for meetings and gatherings, breaks and retreats. With its shaded canopy, the chancellery roof terrace is imagined as a special gathering space. Likewise, covered outdoor areas and an enlarged roof are proposed for the upper floor of the residence.
On the ground level, guests are directed to a garden reception outside the renovated residence. A split level within the new office building responds to the natural terrain of the site, with the half-height floor offset creating short sight lines and pathways within the building. According to the architects, the “efficient use of height allows for an optimal building volume.”
The German government’s policy goal of achieving net-zero emissions across their building stock by 2045 was a key requirement of the brief – as was a targeting a 6-star Green Star rating. Furthermore, the government required that the project adopt “low-tech” principles, with the building’s design and selection of materials based on locally available products.
In response, the covered terrace areas are designed to be paved with a reddish terrazzo concrete made from recycled bricks, and certain parts of the landscape’s informal paths are envisioned as constructed from recycled concrete slabs.
Rainwater collected on the scheme’s flat roofs is designed to be diverted to tanks or filtered on site.
Second prize for the competition has also been awarded to an Australian-German team, comprising Berlin-based firm Buero Hacke, along with Melbourne-based practice Kerstin Thompson Architects and landscape architecture studio Openwork. The winners of the first, second and third prizes will progress to the second stage before the project is awarded.
The full list of competition winners can be viewed online.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
