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Diplomats and visitors from Nigeria have a new home base in the nation’s capital. Clark Construction Group, LLC recently completed the Nigerian Chancery, a 70,000-gross-square-foot structure at 3519 International Court, N.W. Its hilltop location at the U.S. Department of State’s International Chancery Center maximizes its visibility and site topography, establishing a monumental presence.
The Chancery’s architect, Shalom Baranes Associates of Washington, D.C., created a facility that is both beautiful and functional. Contemporary in character, while drawing from West African architectural influence, the building is concentric in plan, consisting of individual structures arranged beneath a common roof that encircles a central courtyard.
The design of the new Chancery organizes the building’s functional space around a skylit central atrium, in a hierarchy of spaces from public to private. Two stone elements, one curvilinear and the other angular, anchor the atrium. Wood-clad concrete columns rise through the atrium to support the roof structure. The stone elements, detailed in French limestone, are connected by a light architectural screen composed of wood and metal sitting on a stone base.
Two sets of double doors lead visitors to a security checkpoint and into the larger, radiused atrium, with skylights supported by steel trusses. Stone walls blended with curtain wall lend both light and drama to the main lobby. French limestone also is used to construct the interior walls, along with African mahogany paneling and veneer plaster.
The more public diplomatic functions, such as the visa and immigration departments, are located in the areas within or adjacent to the atrium, while private offices and functions are housed in the more massive stone elements. The atrium, which also serves as exhibition hall, reception space, and ballroom, opens to a spacious exterior terrace.
In addition to office and meeting space, the Nigerian Chancery includes below-grade parking for 90 vehicles. Exterior landscaping features brick pavers and garden areas.
Structural engineering services were provided by SK&A, of Washington, D.C. B&A Consulting Engineers, Decatur, Ga., provided mechanical and electrical engineering for the project.
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