French trade Commission
Yaoundé, Cameroon
The site is a vast diplomatic compound located on a hill of Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroun. The chancery , design by french architect Michel Ecochard in the 1970's is located at the foot of the hill while the residence and other villas occupy the top.
The project is located at the lowest part of the campus on a triangular plot set against a dense jungle facing the South on the basilica of Yaoundé that crowns the neighboring hill.
The concept was to design a builing that could be seen as the base of the jungle, a kind of inhabited retaining wall. It is a very simple and massive RCC structure clad with a local stone that accommodate offices at the gound floor and a large appartment on top.
All the services are integreted in the technical bridges formed by the structural elements that frame views of the landcape through large rectangular glass panels. The structure of the pavilion is supported by 2 symetrical blocks that concentrate the services and wet rooms and free the main spaces from any false ceiling.
The office is a large open space platform at the garden level, some meeting rooms and closed offices are located at the back and can see through the open offices.
The first floor C shape appartment gets a impressive view on the city skyline.
