The so-called "Esplanade" building, the work of architect Pierre Fakhoury, is an extension of the Palace of the Presidency of the Republic, made necessary for the proper functioning of its services.
Developing 27,600 m² of floor space, the project has four floors including a technical floor and three office floors resting on a monumental forecourt, which houses four other infrastructure levels. The premises include in particular the office of the President of the Republic, that of the Vice-President and the room of the Council of Ministers. The ground floor consists of a hall of approximately 260 m² accompanied by a few adjoining rooms divided into two separate volumes. Alternating voids and reflections, the facade of this level almost disappears, leaving it visually transparent.
There is an interlocking program in infrastructure, including 300 parking spaces, two restaurants, sports halls and various archive and storage rooms. The restaurants benefit from a naturally lit south facade which overlooks a garden with a terrace.
The construction is about 100 meters long and its thickness, with variable geometry, oscillates between 16 and 22 meters wide. The construction system is distinguished by a transfer of the loads from the “office” part, allowing the footprint of the building to be freed up. This is made possible by bracing the recovery floor at the technical level on the mezzanine, revealing a 20-meter cantilever at each end of the building.
The facades, entirely glazed, develop 3,400 m² of curtain wall. They read like a sheet of music, with their own vibrations that change according to the angle of view and the light.
In 2022 Alassane Ouattara, the President of the Republic, the Vice-President, and their collaborators as well as the majority of the services operating at the presidential palace of the Plateau, have effectively moved from the old palace and fitted out at the Esplanade, the new building located in front of the former presidential palace. The old building will therefore be rehabilitated.