Texte traduit par Mohamed Sadok CHAIEB
L’architecte allemand Léon Wohlhage Wernik a gagné le concours pour la conception du siège du gouvernement à Tripoli. Il l’a remporté devant de grands noms comme Zaha Hadid (Londres), Ateliers Lion (Paris), Kisho Kurokawa (Tokyo), Gerkan Marg und Partner (Hamburg). Un clin d’oeuil à Brasilia est évident.
 Le concours a exigé un parti fonctionnel avec une grande touche de design, ainsi qu’une architecture s’inspirant de l’identité, représentant à la fois la Libye moderne, et sa tradition. Après plusieurs années de fermeture et d’isolation vis-à-vis de l’occident, la Libye se positionne aujourd’hui dans un palier entre l’histoire et le futur, et est à même de bondir de nouveau. Les architectes considèrent ce projet comme une représentation de la Libye moderne.
 Tripoli Greens
Léon Wohlhage Wernik Architekten to design Libya´s new government district in Tripoli
 Léon Wohlhage Wernik Architekten have won the international competition for the new government district in the Libyan capital Tripoli. Further participants were amongst others Zaha Hadid (London), Ateliers Lion (Paris), von Gerkan Marg und Partner (Hamburg) and Kisho Kurokawa (Tokyo).
 The competition required a functional concept with a high level of design, as well as an architecture that inspires identity, representing both modern Libya and its tradition. After years of confrontation with the West and international isolation, Libya today stands at the threshold between the past and the future and is on the verge of a new beginning. The architects see the project named Tripoli Greens as an important representation of the new Libya.
Léon Wohlhage Wernik Architekten to design Libya's new government district in Tripoli The Berlin architects Léon Wohlhage Wernik have won together with a team of worldwide experienced specialists the international competition for the new government district in the Libyan capital Tripoli, succeeding against renowned competition such as Zaha Hadid (London), Ateliers Lion (Paris), von Gerkan Marg und Partner (Hamburg) and Kisho Kurokawa (Tokyo). The competition results were publicly presented for the fi rst time on July 1, 2007 during an award ceremony in Tripoli.
The competition required a functional concept with a high level of design, as well as an architecture that inspires identity, representing both modern Libya and its tradition. After years of confrontation with the West and international isolation, Libya today stands at the threshold between the past and the future. The architects cite the „National Economic Strategy“ developed by Michael Porter (Harvard University)
as a source for the visualizing concept. Libya intends to implement the vision of a modern, open-minded
country with the incremental plan formulated in the strategy.
The architects see the project named Tripoli Greens as an important representation of the new Libya. The new government district is a 230 hectare site in Libya‘s capital and booming economic hub Tripoli. It is situated on the Highway between the international airport and its historical centre, and is surrounded by a valuable expanse of trees. The government buildings with a planned total gross fl oor area of approx. 655,000 m2 include the People‘s Congress Palace, the ministries, the offi cial residence of the Prime Minister and the 140 m high tower of a fi ve-star hotel with a conference centre.
The concept is characterised by a precise urban planning concept, at the centre of which lies a large square, The Quad. It is a green, quadrangular oasis. All the buildings are organised clearly with oversight around the central park: The sides are lined with ministries of different sizes. A public mosque is situated at the north end of the square, while the most important government buildings are at the southern end.
To the north east and on the eastern side of the highway, there are areas for future use by offi ces and stores. It is also the location of the Energy Farm, which provides power to the entire complex. Together with Buro Happold, the architects developed a concept for the highly effi cient use of conventional energy, combined with renewable sources of power as a part of an integral infrastructure concept.
The Congress Palace with its Press Centre forms the southern end of the government district. Its exposed location on a raised plateau highlights its importance. Towards the south, the plateau merges into a public park that surrounds the entire location. The vision of Libya´s new political culture is refl ected through the architecture: The goblet formed, fl ared columns and the wide, overhanging roof are elements of such expression. Transparently designed facades and fl owing transitions between interior and exterior areas allow a wide range of different perspectives. The main hall with seating for 1,500 people is positioned as its own form within the large public foyer. The clearly defi ned structure and clearly organised spaces enhance simple orientation.
The public green spaces and the light architecture provide an architectural representation of the expected break-up.
Environmental Concept
The project provides an opportunity to establish environmental design standards for future projects within Libya and the North Africa region. The project aims to ensure the minimum required draw on Libya’s key natural resources such as oil, gas and water whilst consciously responding to the challenge of reducing environmentally harmful emissions through the use of renewable energy systems.
The sustainability concept integrates the energy, water, waste and transportation systems to target a 50% improvement in resource inputs (utility demands) and outputs (waste and emissions) compared with conventional systems.
New infrastructure will be built for the effi cient, safe and secure servicing of the site with standby facilities for use in an emergency. A central Energy Centre containing all technical facilities will be connected to the administration buildings local equipment rooms by a full access service tunnel.
 ENERGY
The Energy Centre will consist of a central tri-generation plant to meet the site base electricity, cooling and heating demands supplemented by a proportion of distributed renewable energy systems. Peak loads and additional secure supplies will be met by conventional utility connections. Energy storage systems will be used to moderate peak loads. The tri-generation plant can be designed to respond to future needs within the district ensuring a safe an environmentally effi cient generating system is available to the surrounding community minimising dependency on city infrastructure systems. Energy generation can be supplemented by solar systems and could provide a signifi cant proportion of the total energy needs for this complex. This would also provide a landmark project for the region making full use of potentially Africa’s greatest marketable energy resource: The sun.
 WATER
Demand for city water will be reduced by water conservation and re-use. Systems such as greywater recycling and groundwater extraction for toilet fl ushing, irrigation and use in cooling systems. Central water treatment plant will be located at the Energy Centre and supplemented as required from the city water
supply.
WASTE
The Energy Centre will include a waste management centre for the sorting of man made materials such as paper, glass and metals for recycling. Food and sewage will be collected for anaerobic digestion to produce biogas. The capacity of the waste treatment plant could be extended to treat additional waste from
the surroundings.
TRANSPORT
The transport strategy responds to the short term dependency on car use but makes full provision for the future integration of public transport networks such as high speed rail network and metro systems. The main vehicle access to the complex envisages a new all-movement grade-separated junction onto the Airport Expressway, offering convenient access to and from all directions.
In addition, a secondary all-movement access to the west will secure maximum fl exibility and minimise the impact of generated traffic. Within the development site, an external circular loop provides access to all of the staff car parking. The same external loop provides access to the underground service route and will accommodate informal parking areas at surface level for general public access.
Car parking will be accommodated below the central square in two basement levels, accessed from the external loop. The approaches to the car parking and servicing areas from the external loop will include security facilities to ensure that access to the underground network is controlled.
At surface level and within the loop of the buildings is an internal loop road. This is intended to offer direct access to the Ministry buildings for visitors and VIP’s, though no parking is envisaged. A mini bus public transport network may access the inner roadway to conveniently serve the full quad area.
Convenient access to the proposed Metro service is critical if the mode-split targets are to be achieved and limit the traffi c impact of the proposed development. It is proposed to incorporate a metro station under the central open space, with access from the platforms into this public space central to all of the Ministry buildings. The scale of the open space within the rectangle of proposed buildings is intended to facilitate convenient and comfortable pedestrian movement within and across it.
BUILDINGS
Buildings will be designed to minimise the need for mechanical servicing systems. Buildings are typically aligned with an east-west orientation which external walls clad in materials to minimise solar gain. Offi ces orientate to open public spaces between building elements which provide
natural shading but optimise natural day lighting.
Fresh air, naturally pre-cooled within a thermal labyrinth will be delivered to offi ces and internal environments of high thermal mass. Roof located photovoltaic systems can provide additional localised energy generation. Finally, energy demand will be optimised through the integration of simple effective building management control systems to ensure responsive but energy effi cient work spaces.
Project Data
Client
Great Socialist People‘s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,
represented by the ODAC (Organization
for Development of Administrative
Centers)
International Competition 1st Prize
April 2007
Site
Tripolis, Libyen
GFA
655.000 m²
Competition Size
230 Hektar
Completion
since 2007
Members of the Jury
Guido Hager (Zurich, Switzerland),
Rudolfo Machado (Boston, USA), Bruno
Sauer (Valencia, Spain), Matthias
Sauerbruch (Berlin, Germany), Peter
Zlonicky (Munich, Germany, Chairman)
Project Team
Architects
Léon Wohlhage Wernik Architekten, Berlin
Hilde Léon, Konrad Wohlhage, Siegfried Wernik
www.leonwohlhagewernik.de
Team:
Klaus-Tilman Fritzsche, Sebastian Lippok,
Tim Lindner, Jutta Kliesch, Hans-Josef Lankes,
Florian Dreher, Julius von Holst, Adrian K?nig,
Marius Mensing, Gerrit Neumann, Thiele
Nickau, Miriam G?llner
Environmental Concept
Buro Happold, Berlin, Germany / GB
www.burohappold.com
Structural Engineering
Werner Sobek Ingenieure, Stuttgart / Germany
www.wernersobek.com
Landscape and Gardening Design
St Raum a. Landschaftsarchitektur, Berlin /
Germany
www.strauma.de
Real Identity
MetaDesign AG, Berlin / Germany
www.metadesign.de
Lighting Design
Licht Kunst Licht, Berlin/Bonn / Germany
www.lichtkunstlicht.de
Consultancy on Libyan Culture
Harms & Jekel Reports, Hamburg / Germany
www.harms-jaekel.com
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