US Embassy | Wandsworth | Prep

[Jaeger]

The US Embassy in London is moving from Grosvenor Square to a site at Nine Elms near the old Battersea Power Station.



Attempts are being made to list the former Embassy by English Heritage, however many people also feel it should be pulled down and something more in keeping with the squares surroundings should be built.

Meanwhile the competition to design the new US Embassy at Nine Elms is being giving the go ahead.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...andsworth.html

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?...de=3121178&c=1






Grosvenor Square has strong historial ties with the US and many Americans will be sad to see the Embassy go, but the locals will no doubt be delighted.

[chrissyb]

When I was last in that area and purely from an aesthetic point of view I remember thinking how unfitting it was for the American Embassay - it doesn't look to bad from that ariel view however.

[Legal Beagle]

The current Grosvenor Square Embassy is a dump. I would certainly be in favour of it being pulled down. I hear the Candy brothers want to buy it, no doubt to turn it into more ridiculosly priced flats for the megarich - still bearing in mind the W1 postcode, this is never going to be an area for affordable housing anyway.

[Jaeger]

Could be good news for the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station, as the area will be much more prominant once the US have their Embassy there.

[zfreeman]

So the Americans will leave the congestion charge zone when they have built up an enormous debt and sell the site to the highest bidder, surely some of the funds they have gained from the move, should go to paying off this debt as I'm sure it would pay for some transport improvement like the congestion sharge is supposed to.............

[jimbo]

thank goodness, I'm not a fan of the hulking mess with its golden eagle badge on the front crying out overwrought jingoism, and the concrete barriers and fortifications (justified after 9/11 though) ruining the western end of Grosvenor Square for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike. Ta-ta.

[Get Smart]

the polital demo's (quite regular) is also very disruptive

[ledge88]

Originally Posted by jimbo

concrete barriers and fortifications (justified after 9/11 though) ruining the western end of Grosvenor Square for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike. Ta-ta.

My reason for wanting it gone.

[BenL]

But if the Americans left they'd get rid of the obstructions to pedestrians. You'd just be left with Britain's only building by Eero Saarinen.

[Manuel]

What about facadism? we sometimes keep victorian facades and rework the back. Take away the golden eagle and security paranoid walls that are not part of the very design and keep the facade as it is.

[zfreeman]

Originally Posted by BenL

But if the Americans left they'd get rid of the obstructions to pedestrians. You'd just be left with Britain's only building by Eero Saarinen.

True.....but he is more recognised for his furniture in this country.....

I'm not a big fan of that particular building, for numerous reasons, part of which are mentioned above but also my severe dislike for the way I was treated when I went to try and get a visa for a US visit I was ordered to remove my prosthetic leg and hop thru the security barrier and told i couldn't put it back on........to which point I argued with them, they didn't like that....

[Manuel]

Hugh Pearman on the Saarinen US embassy
http://www.hughpearman.com/2008/13.html

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[mulattokid]

Originally Posted by jimbo

thank goodness, I'm not a fan of the hulking mess with its golden eagle badge on the front crying out overwrought jingoism, and the concrete barriers and fortifications (justified after 9/11 though) ruining the western end of Grosvenor Square for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike. Ta-ta.

Bald Eagle my buddy! Golden Eagle is Scottish...but I can see the connection

[jimbo]

Originally Posted by mulattokid

Bald Eagle my buddy! Golden Eagle is Scottish...but I can see the connection

eagle smeagle bucko!

[Zenith]

Originally Posted by mulattokid

Bald Eagle my buddy! Golden Eagle is Scottish...but I can see the connection

How fast does it go?

[mulattokid]

^ a lot faster!.......less drag on its head

[Halfy]

Originally Posted by BenL

But if the Americans left they'd get rid of the obstructions to pedestrians. You'd just be left with Britain's only building by Eero Saarinen.

Saarinen designed THAT! Was he ill that week?

[Janie Stamford]

Originally Posted by zfreeman

I'm not a big fan of that particular building, for numerous reasons, part of which are mentioned above but also my severe dislike for the way I was treated when I went to try and get a visa for a US visit I was ordered to remove my prosthetic leg and hop thru the security barrier and told i couldn't put it back on........to which point I argued with them, they didn't like that....

That's terrible! Despite this behaviour of the residents, I still think the building should remain.

[zfreeman]

To me the bulding appears rather plain compared to some of his other buildings.

Whilst the area is full of conservation zones this is one of the few sites where demolishing this building for something more 'striking'. But i'm sure the NIMBY's would mean we just end up with another bland office/residential building.

[Janie Stamford]

Originally Posted by zfreeman

But i'm sure the NIMBY's would mean we just end up with another bland office/residential building.

Euch! No, exactly what we don't want. Given the choice between the current building remaining and a another bland office/residential one, which would you choose? Surely not the latter? (Hypothetically speaking, of course...)