Over the last 15 years , every embassy that the U.S. has built around the world look like a fortress — an eyesore in metropolis and a not - so - friendly message to foreigners . So , architects who are construct our new London embassy hope to try that aesthetics and security can co - exist . It ’s an approximation that ’s sparked some controversy .
I ’ve visited a issue of these embassies myself , and I can vouch for their dismal , almost bunker - similar appearance . And , while that ’s good for security and a pending zombie apocalypse , it ’s not so good for American diplomacy .
As the Atlanticobserveda couple of year back :
With a string of embassy catastrophe culminating in the East Africa bombings of 1998 , fears of terrorist act outweigh other concern . In 1999 , the State Department take up a stock model of expression , which embassy historian Jane Loeffler describes as an “ isolate walled chemical compound . ” These spiritless shells are epitomized by the designs of PageSoutherlandPage , who have built 21 such embassy and consulates since 2001 . From inside the walls of these bastioned villas , you might mistake our embassy for social science buildings at a rural college . They are squat , quotidian structures surrounded by green lawn ; totally anti - urban , and , contriver hope , wholly safe . As Senator John Kerry put it in 2009 , “ We are construct some of the atrocious embassies I ’ve ever seen … I cringe when I see what we ’re doing . ” Harvard International Relations professor Stephen Walt wrote that our embassies were like the “ vivid physical symbolic representation of a powerful Empire striving to keep the away world at bay . ”
This designing presentspractical problemsas well . Enhanced security requirement — such as the rule that embassies must be set back at least 100 feet from city streets on all four slope — has made it very expensive or simply unsufferable to find real estate in most metropolis inwardness . That already has pushed many embassy to suburbs , making matters difficult for both visitor and diplomat .
In 2010 , the State Department ’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations begin a fresh initiative , Design Excellence , which emphasize surety , good computer architecture , environmental efficiency and urbanity . ( “ Whenever potential , site will be selected in urban areas allowing the U.S. embassies and consulates to contribute to the civic and urban material of master of ceremonies cities . ” ) The initiative quoted the recent Senator Daniel Patrick Moynahan , who once served on President Kennedy ’s ad hoc citizens committee for Federal Architecture : “ computer architecture is ineluctably a political art , and it report faithfully for age to follow what the political time value of a special age were . sure ours must be receptiveness and fearlessness in the face of those who hide in the darkness . ”
The manifestation of this glide path is thenew embassybeing build in London :
The 581,251 - square - foot building includes a consular section , reinforcement spaces , a U.S. Marine residence , and access pavilions … .The landscape painting aim follows the English tradition of urban parks and garden surrounding municipal buildings with limestone paving surrounding and within the embassy , exchangeable to many London walk of life . The luck will admit six upcountry gardens , an event lawn , and a pool . The task features a landscape painting without visible walls , or fences to enter the national space to the surrounding city yet hide the required security department barriers .
Some pundits , though , are not pleased . The most late attack is aneditorialthat come out in the Washington Times :
An embassy must be secure against alien spies and terrorists , and building one totally of glass is style over mathematical function … .The new embassy in London might have been signify to compensate for how badly American discreetness has gone over the past decade or so , but spending hundreds of millions of dollar to make ourselves experience better is an expensive and ultimately useless exercise . The Obama administration would well pore on examine its failure overseas and work to regain moral authority and lose obedience . Elaborate state - of - the - artistic creation embassies wo n’t do it .
place up a front is a bum temptation , and grievous when the front is let on to be false . Only when America protects her citizens , get down with embattled embassador , will the res publica impress its friends and intimidate evil , and be recognized as the great force for peacefulness and freedom in the world .
The editorial has inspire aresponsefrom Aaron Betsky , a famous architect and director of the Cincinnati Art Museum :
I am a member of that federal way curriculum ’s review article panel , and have see first - hand both how incredibly complex it is to contrive building for the state , and how thorough the aim outgrowth has become . I thought I understood security measures concern , but the length to which we go to protect our staff office abroad are now beyond anything you could imagine .
The critics exact that the current process is so lengthy that it puts those who are not yet in new bodily structure at risk while they wait for young building . Yet I have find out no evidence that the process actually takes longer . The critic also claim massive cost overrun , which the State Department categorically deny .
The crux of the argument is that we are sacrificing surety and cost to make the buildings “ pretty . ” That is such a dumb and reductive whimsey of good excogitation I almost do n’t know how to answer it . The Design Excellence program is about making the bodily structure work . Part of that mandate is to represent our nation in a way that does not make the people of those country want to throw Molotov cocktails at us , and that both those seeking visa and those assist them have a pleasant place to mould . But those business organisation are so embedded in a process that seek to make these places mold in every sense of the word that to repress them to a call for a sure kind of aesthetics is absurd .
The most obvious reason this has come about is that the new embassy edifice in London looks so striking … . Its high - carrying out glass skin leave the users to make the most of the often - gloomy conditions , while still meet strict environmental standards and all blast tests .
“ But once again , ” Betsky conclude , “ this seems to be a case of , ‘ If a building looks good , the public thinks there must be something haywire with it . ' ”
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