Originally published on Metropolismag.com
Where civic buildings tend to invite their publics inside, this embassy expertly keeps people out.
“Just as Saarinen’s building acted as a focal point to anti-Vietnam war protesters in ’68 and many more up to the Women’s March in January this year, KieranTimberlake’s building will likely form a backdrop to large public opposition to President Trump’s expected visit in early 2018. Where Grosvenor Square provided a natural point for gathering opposite the Saarinen building, there is no such space in VNEB. The embassy is an island, surrounded by its own defense mechanisms and a busy road. While the ire of protestors is possibly not high on the list of potential threats to the building and its occupants, its natural ability to keep people away will come in handy if Trump comes to town. It is here that we can more accurately identify the “embassy effect” of KieranTimberlake’s new building. A place of exclusion, division, excessive displays of power, and an insensitivity to others around…
Originally published on Metropolismag.com
