Dutch Embassy Maputo
The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Maputo is the diplomatic representation of the Netherlands , Arubas , Curaçaos and Sint Maartens in Mozambique. It is located at 324 Avenida Kwame Nkrumah in the Sommerschield district . The current ambassador is Pascalle Grotenhuis .
history
Diplomatic relations have existed between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Republic of Mozambique since Mozambique gained independence in 1975. There has been a Dutch embassy in the country since 1989.
In 1997 the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched a special program for the construction of new embassy buildings, which in particular show modern Dutch architecture and at the same time should adapt to the local conditions of the host countries. In addition to Addis Ababa ( Ethiopia ), Dar-es-Salam ( Tanzania ), Cairo ( Egypt ) and Dakar ( Senegal ), Maputo was also selected as the location for a new embassy building.
On April 16, 1998, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs placed an order with the architects Claus en Kaan , who were allowed to choose the location themselves. The office chose Maputo and was commissioned to design a building that would combine the embassy and the residence. However, the plan for a joint building was discarded the following year. At the same time there was an alternative plan to expand the previous embassy at the nearby Parque dos Continuadores . Ultimately, Claus En Kaan submitted a first draft in 2000, which was followed by a revised draft in 2001. Construction work on the new embassies began in May 2002 and was completed in May 2004 after a good 22 months. The cost was about $ 3.9 million (about 3.2 million euros at the time).
architecture
The building with a usable area of 1897 m² has the shape of an "L", whereby the short wing consists of a wall and at the same time forms a roofed transition to the embassy offices, which are located in the longer wing of the building. The entrance to the premises is at the intersection of the two wings. The building itself is two-story, on the cooler, completely glazed south side are the offices with 42 workplaces for the embassy employees. The inner courtyard of the embassy designed by Michael van Gessel is located between the two wings . This is open on two sides, to the street (south) and to the east, but is separated by a high, massive fence made of wooden struts.
From an architectural point of view, there was a desire to integrate the message into the urban context of the surrounding area. Although the building differs greatly in its very modern architectural style, it uses materials and elements that are also common in the rest of Maputo: exposed concrete and tropical hardwood. In addition, 14 of the traditional Maputo flame trees ( Delonix Regia ) have been planted in the courtyard . The open courtyard, together with the flame trees, should give the impression that the message forms part of the city. At the same time, the proverbial Dutch openness is to be symbolized. The Portuguese architect José Forjaz was commissioned to design the interior . Furthermore designed Pieter Kusters some decorative elements for the embassy entrance.
Mission of the embassy
The main purpose of the embassy is to represent and represent the interests of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Mozambique and as a contact point for the citizens of the Kingdom. The embassy is also the seat of Dutch development cooperation, which Mozambique has selected as one of its priority countries. In 2010, Dutch development cooperation carried out projects worth more than 59 million euros in Mozambique.
In addition, two honorary consulates, in Beira and Nampula , support the embassy in consular matters.
swell
Where not stated, the information in the article relates to the following work:
- Hans Ibelings, José Forjaz and Rob Gaunt (Claus en Kaan Architecten): The Royal Netherlands Embassy in Mozambique, NAi Publishers, 2004 Rotterdam, ISBN 90-5662-420-2
- ↑ a b Report on Mozambique. Rijksoverheid [Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands], October 20, 2011, accessed January 17, 2014 .
Web links
Coordinates: 25 ° 57 ′ 54.5 ″ S , 32 ° 35 ′ 44.8 ″ E