Diplomacy Capturing the Sense of Place

The new Consulate General replaces its 1950s predecessor to meet current capacity and design requirements. Inspired by Brazilian modernist traditions and urbanism, the new facility captures the character of the vibrantcity through form, materiality, and experience. A community space sits atop two glazed office towers set within the common stone clad plinth, where public services are provided with the iconic cityscape framing the scene.  Arrays of vertical shade fins known as a brise-soleil unify and shape each tower, creating a unique identity derived from effective solar control.

Monumental canopies mark the primary entries of the chancery. Formal plazas at the main entry, flanked by water features andgardens, house a covered multi-use outdoor reception and event space. Consular visitors access diplomatic service by ascending a brightly colored processional ramp, serving as an orchestrated visitor flow stratagy and familiar modernist gesture.

On the compact urban site, efficient planning allows for both diplomatic functions and representational frontage. The complex program interconnects inside an 11-story high-rise. A full floorplate of unassigned shell space in the towers will allow for future expansion. The chancery includes an interstitial mechanical level that normalizes the tower floorplates and co-locates major equipment to centralize maintenance. The façade fins are backed by walkable platforms to facilitate maintenance in concert with roof-mounted access equipment.

The facility will serve nearly 1,800 visitors daily, energizing the local economy and enhancing public safety. Site strategies capitalize on available infrastructure to benefit the project and host city. The campus landscape transitions across the secure perimeter into the public realm, upgrading the streetscape with a shaded experience for pedestrians. An adjacent park is revitalized as informal consular waiting. The public right of way is redeveloped as shaded walkways linking compound access points to the surroundings. Public transportation and parking minimize on-site parking.

A connected system of representational water features supplements an underground cistern to collect and manage stormwater for reuse, minimizing impacts on overwhelmed municipal systems. Energy efficiency and lower operational costs are achieved with passive radiant cooling, photovoltaics, daylighting, and shading. The vertical fins, optimized for each exposure, reduce solar gain by 44% while providing usable daylight and access to the view.