SOM Unveils U.S. Embassy in Beijing

Composed of stone, concrete and glass structures, the complex is the second largest embassy ever constructed by the United States.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 9/12/2008

Michael Phelps may have brought the gold home from Beijing, but Skidmore, Owings and Merrill stakes its own claim to Chinese fame as the firm’s design for the new United States Embassy is officially unveiled.

The 500,000-square-foot complex, located on more than 10 acres of land, is the second largest embassy ever constructed in U.S. history. The facility is capable of accommodating more than 600 employees.

Rather than create a single monumental tower, SOM's San Francisco team, led by design partner Craig Hartman, elected to design an assortment of low- and mid-rise buildings. The modern stone, concrete and glass structures rise over a series of gardens in a landscape planned according to traditional Chinese design principles. Landscape architects Peter Walker and Partners collaborated with SOM on gardens and courtyards throughout the complex.

To meet functionality requirements, as well as to encourage interaction among embassy staff, the campus is organized into three neighborhoods. After arriving at the main public entrance, visitors continue to the gardens and the consular building. Another neighborhood features outdoor spaces and low pavilions that contain a cafeteria and store to serve embassy staff and their families. Offices reside in a separate eight-story tower and three-story pavilion, the tower sheathed in patterned ceramic frit-coated glass that is supported by a tensile net structure.

"The most significant challenge, and ultimately the inspiration, was symbolism and physical place," says Hartman. "As a sovereign US presence on Chinese soil, it seemed especially important that our embassy's architecture reflect our cultural, social and political values while being respectful of China, a country with an ancient and extraordinarily rich culture.”

Above: An exterior rendering of the newly opened U.S. Embassy in Beijing. Image courtesy of SOM.