April 2020 | Eyesore

Commentary on architectural blunders in monthly serial.

Behold: The embassy of the Peoples’ Republic of China, Washington DC, a fortification undreamed of in the most garish nightmares of the Marquis de Vauban. Only this death-star was designed by American architect, the late I.M. Pei’s outfit, Pei Partnership. What were the Chinese expecting back in 2007? Godzilla? Well, now that they have gifted us with the Covid-19 virus, perhaps they’ll eventually get mobs of laid-off DC lobbyists attacking the place with attache cases full of soon-to-be worthless US dollars. Note: the Chinese characters painted on the gateposts are recent graffiti. Pronounced “chai,” the word means “to demolish,” and the Chinese authorities used it to mark buildings that would soon be razed during their great urban rebuild earlier this century. Somebody’s just a leetle ticked off. Shout-out to Roger Chitty for nominating this beauty.