The Presidential Seat, offices and palace, in Accra Ghana were a development aid project from India to Ghana. The design expresses the delicacy of a democracy and the fact that Ghana has taken of flight into the future. A repetitive precast concrete roof panel is placed on two columns of which one has is higher with every step along the grid. The effect is an intricate roof, under which two office buildings are placed.
Visitors enter the office buildings from the public corner, there where the building unfolds upwards from the ground. After entering the reception, one will step into the central courtyard, which has an office wings on either side. The office wings are connected through an oval structured bridge, which penetrates through both the wings. On the front side of the plot, this bridge ends in a raised platform from where the president could address the people on the public plaza, which is located on the main road.
A repetitive precast concrete roof panel is placed on two columns of which one has is higher with every step along the grid. The effect is an intricate roof, under which two office buildings are placed. Although an intricate design, the detailing of the prefabricated parts provide for standardization which keeps the construction simple and reasonable in cost.
The complexity of the design is derived from minimal changes to the simplicity of the precast structure.
This development aid project from India to Ghana was designed and built for the President of Ghana Mr. John Kufuo. A square plot along a main artery road in Accra required a delicate master plan and architectural language to house the Ghanese presidential office and Formal presidential residence with guest accommodation.
The master plan evolves around the diagonal axis along plot. The axis provides public area’s on one end with semi public spaces in the middle, more secure spaces of meeting rooms in the elliptical shaped building and private area in the opposite end of the axis. Guest houses are placed on the rear side of the plot with separate entrances through the rear road.
The entrance to the office wings is at the lower end of the building, where the two wings merge and the prefabricated concrete panels make a reverse turn to provide a mystic opening.
The conceptual design pivots around the new delicate democratic in place since a military government gave way to the Fourth Republic in 1993.
The main offices are located under two roof wings of identical prefabricated concrete panels placed on different sized columns to create the wing effect.
The two wings resemble wings of a bird taking off, as is the democratic republic of Ghana.
On the front side of the plot, this bridge ends in a raised platform from where the president could address the people on the public plaza, which is located on the main road.
Unfortunately the president Mr. John Kufuor gave preference to a more conservative design option. This design is now being adjusted to provide space for the Air Space Museum in Delhi, on a similar sized site opposite Delhi domestic airport.
The atrium between the two office wings is covered with steel trusses and tensile fabric to allow daylight to enter the large space. The two wings are connected by an oval shaped bridge that penetrates through the front wing with a challenging cantilever where the president could address the Ghanese people.
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