Vanda SvobodovaThe Czech Republic’s diplomatic branch in Ethiopia is set to construct a new embassy in the African Union’s primary administrative city. The final architectural design was chosen through a competition and was revealed on Thursday afternoon. The winning design showcases multiple structures and walls crafted from eco-friendly materials. The exterior walls, made of mud-brick, are up to 2 meters thick. These mud bricks are also the main construction material for both the official and residential sections of the embassy.
The estimated construction cost for this new diplomatic headquarters of the Czech Republic in Ethiopia stands at approximately 225 million Czech crowns.
An independent committee chose the final design for the embassy during the Inspireli Awards competition, a worldwide contest for students in architecture, urban planning, landscape, and interior design. The victorious design was the work of Jana Hájková and Kristína Boháčová, both 23-year-old architecture students from the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava.
The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Department of Architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague’s Faculty of Civil Engineering, announced the competition in May. The primary goal was to ensure the design aptly represented the state while also resonating with the local environment and conditions.
