JHK’s Three-Act Play
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Behold, the new US Embassy in London, clocking in at $1 billion, a fortified borg-hive sporting a facade straight out of the 1964 World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows. Kind of a super high-tech Bowling-Trophy-on-Thames.
The Times of London tells it thusly:
The riverside embassy, described by British media as a “state-of-the-art fortress,” is set at least 100 feet from other buildings in the area. It is surrounded by a pond on one side to deter intruders — officials said it is not a moat because it does not surround the whole building. It will not have a perimeter fence and members of the public will be able to sit on benches overlooking the river. The building has triple-glazed, bomb-proof walls, sunken trenches, raised terraces and a Faraday cage — an enclosure that shields what’s inside from electric fields — to deter electronic eavesdroppers….
It would be cool if it actually rotated (to complete the World’s Fair theme).
As a handy bonus, you can actually grate giant slabs of cheese with it.
Looks like the new Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles. Same architect?
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0543929,-118.2467664,3a,75y,141.5h,106.3t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1st6rrTyE3uM6sXB5EsEVkFw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
This is the third federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. In all three, the lightly used halls echo like abandoned coal mines. In contrast, the state courts are bursting at the seams. The federal court system ostentatiously throws money at unneeded projects while the California courts are so overcrowded that they are unable to provide access to justice.
Where are the man-eating sharks when you need them?
Plenty of helicopter space on the roof – ready for Fall of Saigon II
It’s reminiscent of a camera’s expired flashcube… very 60’s indeed!
I am Locuitus. . .Resistance is Futile. . . You Will be Assimilated!
I like the beige ‘example buildings’ best
It does look like it would rotate like it’s on a giant railway turntable
It also does look like a flash cube! Bang up to date a ‘solar flash cube’
If that is Battersea Power Station (‘luxury appartments’) in the background, then this is south of the river, in which case it doesn’t need bomb proof windows as no one will be arsed to go there
Hardly seems worth the trouble. Can’t the embassy just rent something. Keep moving is the best defense
Well
Told ya so. The great man called it an ‘off location’ and cancelled LOL
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42657954
Thing is the old embassy ruined the area it was in as it had to have concrete bollards all round it. It was an eyesore really
As an admin centre, the new one will be much more functional. Much lower rates. Likely as it seems to be in Wansworth. Thats a nasty right wing borough; one of the few in London. Move there for cheap rates and poor public services. Lots of roads with traffic jams
Trump would’ve liked seeing the chimneys on the fine old power station though. Long time since any sooty smoke billowed though
The mayor is happy not to see Trump though – it put’s policing costs up dealing with all the protests 🙂
This is a perfect example of what happens when one loses one’s way. At least the Colosseum provided a convenient quarry after the Romans exhausted themselves on the folly of empire. What will the Londoners do with this execrable pile after the “need” for it has evaporated into the dustbin of history? I’m sure all those defensive, and certainly expensive, accoutrements that it incorporates will certainly serve as an impediment to reuse of its contents after it falls into decay.
A shagreen-wrapped square peg emanating from a ’round hole’ – it’s sort of topical, I guess. Moreover, the gaps in the kite formations on the cheese-grater façade seem to spell the word “Xanax”.
When it comes to moats, historically these holes were most effective when full of ‘ordure’.
For some reason the glossy centrefold image and the status quo have got me singing – “Those soft and fuzzy sweaters so magical to touch, to see her in that negligee is really just too much…” Na na na na na na
James,
An entire year and a half’s worth of future eyesores are collected for you in just one article!
So many architectural beauties in this world, where does one start? From the charms of a half circle moat, to pointy things on the walls, to a pretend park to keep clear of the neighbors, such a wonderful cohesion of tax payer’s money, secrets, and a launch pad to project power.
This building brings so much to a city like London that is already blessed with the Gurkin, Shard, Canada Tower, some building covered in pipes, and medium sized Dragon’s Lair for it’s supreme leader. How can a building such as this compete with so many viable competitor’s?
No doubt this Borg Cube shall be a real tourist draw card??
Many people, including myself, think that the old US embassy building in London was quite successful architecturally. You can see a picture of the old embassy here:
https://thespaces.com/2016/04/04/us-embassy-building-in-grosvenor-square-set-to-become-a-hotel/
I reckon it struck a good balance between fitting in with its surroundings and standing out. It’s in the heart of Mayfair and looks out over Grosvenor Square. Grosvenor Square is a green space with a memorial to the heroes of the Eagle Squadrons, and statues to Roosevelt, Eisenhower and Reagon (all the greats). To me it looks like the embassy of a great power.
It is ironic that by putting up an attractive building, the US may have ended up achieving a slightly less ludicrous sum than projected from the sale. The old building got listed, which limits what can be done with the site. The old building has been bought by the Quataris and is to be converted into a (no doubt very expensive) hotel. In case you were wondering, constructing an extremely ugly building is no guarantee of avoiding listed status. There have been cases of brutalist architecture getting listed, presumably to stand as a warning to future generations. The US, it seems, has absorbed the lesson, and so the new building is an utterly bland glass cube.
I can imagine that the old embassy building was getting very dating and disfunctional. Sadly it ended up being surrounded by a security fence. I can see that the move makes sense, but can’t help feeling a little sad about it.
This is my personal view and I may not have all the facts exactly straight.
This is what paranoia looks like.