55
FROM THE ARCHITECTS’ PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The common ambition of the Franco German
Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is a strong
opportunity for us to display the theme of dual-
ity and unity in a single building. At the origin of
the construction of the European Union, France
and Germany are still today perceived as the
“origin and engine of Europe”, its raison d’être.
This synergy between the two nations led us to
propose a formal concept of permanent growth.
The DNA molecule — two parallel spirals made
architecture demonstrate a harmonious
relationship wherein both need the other to grow,
thus generating life around them.
Incidentally, this is also the new image of high-
technology and ecology that France and Germany
are recognised for. In this scheme, there is no
front-back, no left-right and no top-bottom
segregation. Every entity gets its equal share of
exposure on all sides; the continuity is insured
by two continuous stairs facing each other around
the atrium.
One of the major considerations was to offer green
spaces with different characters at the four cor-
ners of the plot in reminiscence of the ‘Char Bagh’
(the four -part garden celebrated in the tradition
of Mughal gardens from Iran to Bangladesh). This
concept opens the possibility of a formal arrival
court for the officials, followed by a ‘court d’hon-
neur’ after the drop-off porch for diplomats and
ambassadors, a ‘terrace de cafe’ for the café, an
outdoor extension for casual events, the trade
commission’s café du commerce towards the school
courtyard, and the formal garden for receptions,
cocktails, garden parties, and national day
celebrations.55
This spread and next: The typology of
the Franco German Embassy is
expressive of unity in duality, wherein
the offices of the embassies of both
France and Germany are housed within
the same structure. The exposed brick
used in the construction was sought
from the same brick manufacturer as
the Parliament done by Louis Kahn
— silky rich red bricks from the delta.
The key design was to establish a
floating double spiral in two different
kinds of bricks — one in red clay brick
and the other in grey concrete brick