New U.S. Embassy in Nine Elms, London

A new U.S. Embassy, designed by Philadelphia-based architects Kieran Timberlake, is due to open in the Nine Elms area of London

Design: 12-storey glass cube stands on raised plinth, set back
30m from surrounding streets

Seat wall Benches fixed to concrete slab

Ditch: Vehicle barrier hidden in meadow grass

Outer envelope Thin sheath of photovoltaic cells.Building nearly self-sufficient in energy

Building height: 60m
Area: 45,000 sq m
Accommodation: 800 staff andup to 1,100 visitors per day
Expected cost: $1 billion
Completion due: April 2017

Glazing: 15cm-thick blast-resistant facade

Internal gardens Six two-storey themed landscapes within building

Pond

Park: Seating and walkways

NINE ELMS LANE

RIVER THAMES

Proposed bridge 

Hedge: Conceals line of steeland concrete bollards capable of stopping eight-tonne truck driving head-on at 65km/h

River Thames

Battersea Park

Nine Elms

Vauxhall Bridge

LONDON

Embassy plaza

Sources: Kieran Timberlake, Harvard Design Magazine, ASCE, wire agencies

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