German Embassy Tel Aviv Residence

Collaboration with Gustav Düsing, Ana Filipovic Mecke, in collaboration with wolff:architekten and Architekten für Nachhaltiges Bauen, Bollinger Grohmann, Berlin, Grau Visuals

First prize Deutsche Botschaft Tel Aviv – Neubau Residenz

Our winning proposal for the German Embassy in Tel Aviv is a transformation of an existing building and garden to meet the spatial and representational requirements of an embassy residence. A new lightweight structure wraps around the existing building and creates a climatic buffer zone that allows various public activities.

The design follows the principle of “Eco-Minimalism”, where the idea of reduction is understood as an expression of climate consciousness and a resourceful design approach in architecture. This strategy considers climatic zones as a basic organizational principle and presents an alternative to over-engineered building envelopes and energy-intensive comfort demands. The new envelope encloses the building as a compact form and creates a climatic and programmatic intermediate zone (mid-doors). The design takes into account on-site climatic conditions by assessing each functional area according to its climatic demands. For example, to conserve resources, rooms that are rarely used are fitted only with a lightweight envelope that allows light and air to pass through and thereby challenges western habits of comfort.

The jury particularly praised the way EMMERIK garden design and research dealt with the existing garden, preserving the existing vegetation and, where necessary, carefully adapting it to the local climatic conditions.