Heineken Ethiopia Director’s Residence | Addis Abeba – Ethiopia
The project was born from the need to create a representative residence for the CEO of Heineken Ethiopia, completely rethinking both the external image of the building and the internal organisation of the spaces. The villa, located at 2,400 metres above sea level on the Ethiopian plateau, receives extremely intense natural light, which guided every design decision.
The external envelope was redesigned as a dynamic “skin” composed of solids and voids inspired by the decorations of the Mursi tribes, alternated with three-dimensional geometric elements in hand-painted Vietri ceramics. These patterns create effects of light and shadow while protecting loggias and glazed surfaces from direct solar radiation.
The entire villa is organised around an internal courtyard topped by a large skylight, which brings natural light to the central areas with movable screens for shading during the hottest hours. The raised ground floor houses a large kitchen with a bar area, two living rooms, a dining room with a central pass-through fireplace and a family room. The first floor comprises four bedrooms with private bathrooms and a study, all with loggias overlooking the garden. The second floor accommodates a gym and two large terraces with a fully equipped kitchen.
The finishes are of a high standard: external paving in light stone that continues indoors, large-plank parquet in the living and sleeping areas, and decorative encaustic tiles in the bathrooms. The lighting emphasises the perforated skin, transforming the villa into a nocturnal lantern that glows through openings, loggias and glazed surfaces.
Year
2020
Architecture Studio
Nicole Cieri Architects, in collaboration with Westway Architects
Photography
Eduardo Soteras Jalil
