The rehabilitation of the Embassy of South Africa in Washington, DC involves the adaptive reuse of two historically significant adjoining structures located on Embassy Row - the Ambassador’s Residence (1936) and the Chancery (1963). Davis Brody Bond was initially commissioned to conduct a feasibility study evaluating the efficiency of the complex and to determine if it could be modified to meet current and future programmatic needs of the Embassy. Following the acceptance of the study’s recommendations, Davis Brody Bond developed a design that “respected” the original buildings while expressing the “transparency, equality and modernity” to which the new South African government aspired.
The primary objective of the project focused on the creation of a new, welcoming environment for embassy staff and visitors alike. The original embassy buildings, designed in a Dutch Baroque style, lacked public spaces to open the chancery in support of the Embassy’s outreach mission. The project goal sought to expand the embassy’s public areas, improve its circulation and security, while creating a new image for the complex that symbolized the “New South Africa.” Furthermore, with some chancery functions operating out of the Embassy’s separate Van Ness location roughly two miles away, the embassy also sought to create additional office spaces, consolidating embassy personnel into one central complex.
The design solution captured the exterior space between the two existing structures, creating a central point of entry for staff and visitors, thereby improving both circulation and security. The new glass-enclosed entry houses a two-story lobby atrium and a new multi-purpose room, both which will be used for public outreach programming. The renovated facilities increase the overall size of the embassy by approximately 4,100 sf. Newly vacated space in the residence and more efficient interior planning provides additional office space for personnel currently located at the Van Ness offices.
Material Used :
1. Atrium Walls – Existing Limestone
2. Oak Atrium Ceiling - Rulon
3. Atrium Flooring – Black Granite (polished & rough)
4. Curtain Wall - Kawneer
5. Stainless Steel Entry Screen – Cambridge Architectural
6. Wood Flooring – Oak
