ARCHIVES was commissioned by Middle Eastern company to design their new office building in the historic city area. The project (3400 m2) involved the construction of working spaces with a number of meeting rooms, an apartment zone for short stays, a small canteen and an underground parking space. According to regulations and heritage restrictions, the new facades and fence facing the crossroad must refer to a compact three-storey mansion from the late nineteenth century — a representative type of house for the area.
The s-shaped plan follows the restrictions on site and allows to propose two different facades strategies: the stylized facade for the street front and the modest one in the backyard with reduced details and large windows. Both parts are connected with a glazed transition hall. The entrance level is hidden in a small courtyard that can be entered through a tiny garden walk.
1930s image with the plot highlighted
a. “Mansion” block; b. Grid block; c. Atrium hall.
Street facade