The Essence of Interior Design (June 2013) | Page 50

PLACE AND TIME

Functioning at the highest level of diplomacy and statecraft, 14 directorates and 6 departments of 716 staff are
accommodated in this project which comprise a new building and a 1900’s “White Building” annex. A main design challenge
was to harmonize the old with the new.
The “white building” is brought back o life in all its colonial splendor, with decorative elements, restored and enhanced with
sensitive lighting and compatible signage.
Smooth transition from colonial to contemporary is achieved in the double volume atrium with a large skylight atop soaring
marble columns.
Visitors rooms and a library-cum reading room are furnished with deep sofas and wood paneling in the style of a colonial
gentleman’s club, with the same aesthetic carried through the minister’s office. Water features, regional artifacts and
verdant landscaping fill the courtyard spaces, adding interest to the ambient environment. Dignity and elegance are
keynotes throughout