Embassy of Myanmar
Brooklyn, Pretoria
The brief was to design an Embassy for the Republic of Myanmar in Brooklyn, Pretoria. The challenge was to design a building and space that would adhere to both the rich history of Myanmar while at the same time create architecture that is truly South African and that would respect the context in which it is placed. Privacy plays a major role when designing an Embassy.
By taking this into consideration and they very primitive culture of Myanmar, the concept of blurring the boundaries between inside and outside spaces arose. The key to this project being succesful was through making use of a grid system that brought order, structure and authority to the people using this building but at the same time being able to enjoy and be part of the environment they love.
In reality the public and private realm is seperated by a strong threshold and was interperated as just that in this project. A thick stereotomic mass, dividing the public and private functions of the Embassy. Conveying an authoritative image to the public while in reality the building is very open and transparent.
The project exposed me to an architecture that has a strong division between public and private, what that meant for this project and how they can be utilised as a tool to give identity. The whole building[public and pirvate] is made up out of a light weight steel structure that abides with the concept of being shifting the threshold between inside and outside spaces.