Announcement of Winning Architect for Design of New U.S. Embassy

23 February 2010

Good afternoon. I would like to welcome the press to an exciting moment in the history of the U.S. Embassy in London. Today we take an important step forward toward creating a new United States Embassy - a landmark building in a city known for landmarks. An ambitious mission statement was given to the architects asking them to design a building that met our functional needs while encompassing American values, and creating a welcoming environment for the community.

We will replace our current Embassy which has become over-crowded, does not meet modern office needs and required security standards, and after 50 years is showing signs of wear and tear. This effort has special significance in that we are creating a new home and focal point for one of our most cherished and valuable bilateral relationships.

It is my great pleasure to announce that the winning architect for the design of the new United States Embassy in London is the firm of KieranTimberlake of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

KieranTimberlake is a well-respected firm which, since being founded in 1984, has received over one hundred design citations, including the prestigious Architecture Firm Award in 2008, the highest honor given by the American Institute of Architects.

I'm honored to have James Timberlake here with us today, and I will call on him to say a few words a little later. In addition to being a founding member of the firm, James is an accomplished academic and author. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Design, and Endowed Professor in Sustainability at the University of Washington, and was the Eero Saarinen Distinguished Professor of Design at Yale University.

I want to give my profound thanks to the distinguished American and British members of the design competition jury who, beginning over a year ago, devoted much time and energy to this project. Their dynamic contribution provided many insights and ideas and we look forward to continued help going forward.

We are very pleased with the decision to select KieranTimberlake. James, you of course have my hearty congratulations. We feel the design concept you put forward best meets the goal of creating a modern, welcoming, secure and efficient Embassy for the 21st century. It was also the most environmentally-friendly of the four projects. This is not surprising, as KieranTimberlake has made a name for itself in the U.S. as a firm firmly committed to innovation and environmental responsibility.

Although this is a big step forward, we still have a lot of work to do. In many ways, this is just the beginning. KieranTimberlake's design concept will evolve and develop as we move forward with the consultation and planning process. As Ambassador, I am committed to an open and transparent process going forward in all the next phases of the project. This includes not only being a good neighbor in our new home in Nine Elms, but continuing our efforts in Grosvenor Square.

We hope to contribute to the architectural heritage and future history of this great city. But ultimately this project is about people. The dedicated people who work with us; the people who work every day to strengthen U.S.-UK relations; the people who visit the Embassy for services or events; and most importantly, the people who live and work in Nine Elms, Battersea and Wandsworth. We will be, now and in the future, a vital contributor and a good citizen in the community of our new home.

The exhibit, which opens tonight, and runs until March 20, gives us a chance to share with the public the ideas presented by the four finalist architectural firms. I'd like to thank New London Architecture and the Building Centre for hosting it, and look forward to visiting it with you.

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations of the U.S. State Department has brilliantly run a fair, rigorous and comprehensive design competition. This has required a herculean effort of which I am very proud. We have with us today Adam Namm, the acting Director of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, who I would like to call upon at this time.