Terraces
The Large East Terrace
The distinctive elements of the connecting terrace are expansive and rather architectural in detail. The reddish tiling used was generally applied on exterior floor surfaces using traditional Moroccan ceramic tile paving techniques. A distinctive feature that one would notice are the iron staircase railings lining the Minzah room terrace above and the connecting terrace, they also serve as a safety mechanism while also serving an aesthetic function. The connecting terrace overlooks the casbah (the old city) with more of an immersive and in the city view as it is not the highest vantage point in the building. Due to the fourth floor terrace being more immersed into the city due to its lower elevation height the Atlantic Ocean is not as apparent and can be seen from certain vantage points. The connecting terrace has a relatively high vantage point and it is architecturally relevant and distinctive and it provides unique views specific to the legation building. Like the Minzah room terrace, the connecting terrace had aspects that need attention and maintenance due to the Tangier Climate ; for example, regular upkeep is required to maintain the surfaces of the terrace due to the fact that it is exposed to Tangier’s climatic environment- mainly issues to do with humidity and water ingress. This also results in the replacement of the tiles, and re-applying coatings for exterior wall finishes like exterior applied stucco coatings.
North and Street Terrace
The passageway plays a crucial role in connecting the building entrance and exits as well as a part of the whole circulation system. The surrounding building created this atrium space for gardening or as a playground, and the passageway becomes a bridge of the inner space, give this interesting space even more possibility for visitors to explore. The shape of arch and roof lips are very popular for local architecture as well as both structure consideration and functionality like rain water shelter. The materiality of this building is one most important thing we can notice because each component of this construction is made of distinctive matter. For example, the handrails/guardrails are made of stones and presents a color of light grey or even white. Then the color code of the wall is relatively yellow and the tiles for the ground and stairs are red, which is also showing the advantage of brick. The passageway can be a multi-functional platform that is being used as a balcony for the second floor, giving people a space at a higher level to enjoy their leisure time, with the table and chairs; and as the canopy of the first floor, which also provides a shading space for the ground level so that not the whole open space is exposed, and people can enjoy the fresh air while avoiding the straight sunlight or when it is a raining day. The platform this passageway creates also make it more like a sunken plaza that can redefine the purpose of such courtyard building when people wandering around.
American Legation Terraces and Minzah Room Point Cloud, recorded with a Leica BLK360 Lidar scanner.