$1B US Embassy in London 'Far From Subtle'

[The Northerner]

Source: Newser

(Newser) – Architecture critics aren’t too impressed with the winner in the US State Department’s competition to design its next London embassy. “Cool, remote and far from subtle” reads the Guardian’s headline; “all the glamour of a corporate office block,” harrumphs Nicolai Ouroussoff for the New York Times. The security and public-image challenges, in particular, are noted. “Hard to think of a project,” Ouroussoff writes, “that more perfectly reflects the country’s current struggle to maintain a welcoming, democratic image while under the constant threat of attack.”

Adds Jonathan Glancey of the (projected) $1 billion design from Philadelphia firm KieranTimberlake: “Cool, remote and superficially transparent, the winning design does reflect what we can divine of the US political process—nominally open to all and yet, in practice, tightly controlled.” With meadows and a moat as much for defense as looks in the area along the Thames, it’s unclear how long the project might take to finish.

Read more: http://www.newser.com/story/81637/1b-us-embassy-in-london-far-from-subtle.html

[DontTreadOnMe]

1. $1 BILLION... for a building

because we all know we need that building... in London.

[jxnmsdemguy65]

12. The article says that they are selling the exisitng emabassy

for $1B, presumably that money will be used to pay for the new one? I don't like the design of the new one, jus' sayin'.

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. Hillary said in the hearing today the new embassy

" won't cost any taxpayer money" because they are selling other buildings.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

2. Talk about underwhelmed...

http://www.newser.com/getimage.aspx?mediaid=331542

[EFerrari]

3. Wow. That's really ugly. n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

10. Good God, where's Prince Charles and his condemnation of modern

architecture when you need him?

[pinniped]

13. Looks like a giant meat tenderizer..

.

[Arctic Dave]

4. It has a moat, but does it have alligators.

[defendandprotect]

5. .... but we certainly can't afford health care -- MEDICARE FOR ALL ---!!!

[Historic NY]

6. Its freaking ugly Why not something traditional?.Whats wrong with the old one?...

hell they could buy a palace for that kind of money.

[maxsolomon]

17. the "old" one is not "traditional", either

in fact, its some of eero saarinen's worst work:



the neighbors hate it, and they hate the security upgrades that have been built since 9/11.

[Historic NY]

19. That one looks like a soviet bloc structure.....

Its like the idiotic design of our county center.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/31/arts/design/31bern.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&position=

[karynnj]

25. Whoa, that may win for the ugliest building design ever

How did anyone ever agree to that.

[Abq_Sarah]

7. A moat... in London

Well, that sends a positive message, doesn't it?

[NBachers]

8. They made an even worse one in San Francisco

The new San Francisco Federal Building is a stomach-churning eyesore. It dominates the neighborhood, and it obliterates the skyline. I used to enjoy going up to the top of Nob Hill and viewing the sweeping San Francisco panorama. Now it's trashed by this monstrosity overpowering everything else in sight.

It has its fans and advocates. But to me it says, "We are untouchable by you. Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid."

The normal-looking tall building on the left isn't part of this complex. The Cthulhu-inspired freakout-zone complex on the right is the San Francisco Federal Building.

They don't even build prisons this ugly.

[maxsolomon]

16. wow. look at the building in the background

its 100x worse. that's what the private market builds. shit. that one DOESN'T 'obliterate the skyline', but the federal building does?

you don't like contemporary architecture, too bad. this is the now, not the 50's, and certainly not the 1850's.

[NuttyFluffers]

20. that's right across the street from the Beaux-Arts old Post Office & 9th Circuit Federal Court House

an absolutely beautiful building done in the Federal style from our past, right next to, um, well, this Cthulhuesque structure.

actually the architect wanted to create the idea of a piece of paper sloughing off a pile of more paper and crumpling to a heap below. so the outer screen is supposed to be a piece of paper off the pile of bureaucracy that is the new federal building, which explains the sharp angles and crumpled look towards the bottom. still, not my favorite building, and quite poor in comparison to the older building across the street.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

23. The Borg have landed!

Prepare for assimilation.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

9. check out the monstrosity they built in Ottawa,

Looks like a fucking prison, I spent way too much time in that building - although watching the ambassador David Wilkins getting harassed by the crackheads in Byward Market was always good for a laugh.

[heli]

18. That is one hideous building

[formercia]

11. The Borg have landed.

All prepped for Sarah's reign as Queen.

[Romulox]

15. Our country is "broke", remember! nt

[theHandpuppet]

21. That's some kind of ugly

How embarrassing.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

22. "...nominally open to all and yet, in practice, tightly controlled.”

:thumbsup:

[Blue_Tires]

24. no accounting for style