In cooperation with BET architects from Ethiopia, Söhne und Partner
won the international design competition for Ethiopian Airlines New
Headquarter in Addis Ababa. The airline has shown progressive
development since its establishment and is now one of the fast growing
and reputed airlines in Africa. The new Head Quarter is, therefore,
planned to address the need of its growth, dynamic operation and
attaining its Vision-2025.
The landscape, being an important part of the interior design, is
flowing through and underneath the building. The office blocks are
cantilevered above the street level as a floating form. It recalls to
mountains, canyons or rocks. Bridges are the connecting elements as a
symbol of connecting cultures and nations. Like the landscape is flowing
into the building, the lobby itself is floating and rising. Like the
landscape is coming into the building, there are always connections from
the inside to the outside. You always feel like being in nature. The
gardens in between the office blocks are landscaped areas with trees,
benches and art sculptures.
As man-made buildings intrude into the landscape and in the midst of
natural processes, so should the landscape and all adjoining natural
processes make a striking yet pleasant intrusion into man-made
buildings. Hence, the headquarter building has emerged to be a physical
setting shaped as a number of departmentalized random blocks and the
semi-external/internal voids in between the blocks allowing both human
and natural elements to flow through, exposing at the same time
harbouring the internal circulation elements: the lobby, corridors,
stairs, escalators, lifts, and bridges within the voids created among
the blocks.
The sun shading for the grand lobby is done by symbolizing trees,
made out of timber. The office blocks are located around it. This is the
place where people meet for business, chat, eat, relax, and walk. Like
in a village all the different blocks are placed around the square where
all life is actually happening, all important functions like Conference
centre and the central archive is also placed there. It is the place
where the major flow happens. The combination of extending the blocks
and the possibility of building new block gives a maximum flexibility
for future expansion.
Источник: http://www.evolo.us/architecture/ethiopian-airlines-new-headquarter-in-addis-ababa-sohne-und-partner/ | 
