Washington Life Magazine
Washington Life Magazine

DIPLOMATIC DANCE

I.M. Pei comes to Washington, The Swedes and Swiss open new doors ... and who's coming and who's going.
BY GAIL SCOTT

Each autumn, new ambassadors sail into town but this year there are new envoys and embassies as well. At Chile, Cyprus, Colombia, the Netherlands and Peru, there's lots of unpacking. Greece and Côte d'Ivoire celebrate new chanceries while the Turkish and Danish residences are still in rehab.


The House of Sweden takes center stage on the waterfront [See Embassy Row] and high on a hill next door to The Maret School sits the equally new and perhaps more provocative Swiss residence. Neighbors and guests alike are deciding what they think of the "innovative architectural elements and environmentallyfriendly design."


Swiss Ambassador Urs Ziswiler calls it "an elegant and highly versatile building" which will be very useful not just as an ambassador's residence but as a showcase, a stage in which to entertain Switzerland's guests and especially, "to continue our outreach programs on a much larger scale."


After touring the Ziswilers' new home with New York architect Steven Holl and his Lucerne partner Justin Rüssli, it is much easier to understand this $10 million architectural puzzle. If you always remember "the diagonal" line the architects drew from the front entrance, you will enjoy this grand poetic frame from which to view the Washington Monument. And, think about what inspired Holl. "On my first trip to Switzerland, I was mesmerized by the ice melting in the Alps and that's what we've tried to evoke here."

Do You Know Embassy Row?

Before air conditioning changed this capital city forever, many diplomats not only called Washington a "hardship post" but got extra pay for coming here. Some still call it "the hardest post" because working in the world's No. 1 diplomatic post is not just an honor but hard work 24/7. The farther away an ambassador is from his or her country, especially in time zones, the longer the workday. Still others think being a diplomat here is tough because this is the only place in the world where ambassadors and their spouses are automatically expected to host and help so many different charities.

Everybody, Move Over!
Here Comes China

And Boston thought they had the Big Dig. Have you seen what's happening up at International Drive? Every day, the new Chinese Embassy goes up a few more feet with 400 construction workers to keep out the bugs and us. Opening by 2008, this giant symbol of a giant country will dwarf the nearby embassies of Singapore, Israel and Pakistan.

Built on three lots meant to accommodate three separate embassies, this I.M. Pei-inspired design will be the biggest single foreign chancery (250,000 square feet) ever built in Washington and is expected to be one of the most important diplomatic buildings in the world, architecturally and politically.

The current Chinese Embassy, the former Windsor Park Hotel, overlooks Rock Creek Park and is almost invisible except for the Chinese lions guarding the front door. But China isn't the only player. The new American Embassy in Beijing will also open in 2008 and will be the largest single construction project ever undertaken by the U.S. State Department abroad. It took a dozen years to even complete the exchange of land between the two superpowers. No one is talking about how much these mega-embassies will cost but not one penny was spent on the land.

Let’s Dance!

Sadly, Icelandic Ambassador Helgi Ágústsson and his wife Heba are soon to pack their dancing shoes and head north. We’ll miss them and their irresistible urge to dance. (They even met at a college dance!) But don't fret, a new King & Queen of the Diplomatic Dance Floor have already stepped into the spotlight: Switzerland's Urs Ziswiler and his wife Ronit showed off their fancy footwork at the WL-sponsored Ambassadors Ball on September 21. Maybe that's why Ambassador Ziswiler likes his new wideopen- spaces residence? You could tango down those corridors and waltz around the big, empty entrance hall without ever showing skid marks on those black terrazzo floors. Only one question remains: when does the music start and do I need to bring my own dancing partner? No, I'm not wearing my dirndl, even if I have one.

   



Home  |   Where To Find Us  |   Advertising  |   Privacy Policy  |   Site Map  |   Purchase Photos  |   About Us

Click here to go to the NEW Washington Life Magazine