KIERANTIMBERLAKE WIN THE NEW LONDON EMBASSY DESIGN COMPETITION

US AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED KINGDOM, LOUIS B SUSMAN, AND ACTING DIRECTOR OF
THE BUREAU OF OVERSEAS BUILDINGS OPERATIONS, ADAMS NAMM, ANNOUNCED RECENTLY THAT KIERANTIMBERLAKE OF PHILADELPHIA, PA, HAS WON THE DESIGN COMPETITION FOR THE NEW LONDON EMBASSY. KIERANTIMBERLAKE'S DESIGN MET THE GOAL OF CREATING A MODERN, WELCOMING, TIMELESS, SAFE AND ENERGY EFFICIENT EMBASSY FOR THE 21st CENTURY. THEIR CONCEPT MOST FULLY SATISFIED THE REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN THE DESIGN COMPETITION'S MISSION STATEMENT. THE CONCEPT HOLDS THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPING A TRULY ICONIC EMBASSY AND IS ON THE LEADING EDGE OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN. KIERANTIMBERLAKE IS AN ARCHITECTURAL FIRM KNOWN FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY. STARTING WITH 37 ARCHITECTURAL SUBMISSIONS, THE BUREAU OF OVERSEAS BUILDINGS OPERATIONS NARROWED THE NUMBER TO A SHORTLIST OF NINE FIRMS. A DISTINGUISHED JURY OF BOTH AMERICAN AND BRITISH LEADERS IN THE FIELDS OF ARCHITECTURE, ACADEMIA AND DIPLOMACY SELECTED FOUR FIRMS FOR THE FINAL PHASE OF THE COMPETITION. THE FOUR FIRMS EXPLORED THE SYMBOLISM OF THE EMBASSY, ITS PRESENCE AND POSITION IN THE CITYSCAPE OF LONDON.THEIR GOAL WAS TO CREATE A BUILDING AND SITE COMPLEX WITH A TIMELESS QUALITY TO APPROPRIATELY REPRESENT THE UNITED STATES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. THE FOUR COMPETING ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS KIERANTIMBERLAKE, MORPHOSIS ARCHITECTS, PEI COBB FREED & PARTNERS AND RICHARD MEIER & PARTNERS WORKED FOR NEARLY A YEAR AND MADE PRESENTATIONS TO THE JURY WHICH RECOMMENDED THE WINNING DESIGN. AS KIERANTIMBERLAKE MOVES FORWARD WITH THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING, THE BUREAU OF OVERSEAS BUILDINGS OPERATIONS AND KIERANTIMBERLAKE WILL BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE CONSULTATION AND PLANNING PROCESS INVOLVING THE LONDON MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE WANDSWORTH BOROUGH COUNCIL, THE COMMISSION FOR ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, AS WELL AS RESIDENTS IN THE AREA TO ENSURE THAT THE NEW EMBASSY PROVIDES AN APPROPRIATE HOME FOR THE UNITED STATES IN LONDON. THE ANTICIPATED GROUND BREAKING ON THE NEW LANDMARK BUILDING WILL BE ON 2013 WITH A GOAL TO COMPLETE THE CONSTRUCTION IN 2017.