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Architects: Bates Smart
- Area: 19890 m²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:Joe Fletcher
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Manufacturers: Sculptform
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Civil Consultants: Aurecon, Sorba
Site - The Embassy of Australia in Washington D.C. is one of the country’s largest diplomatic presences. The design by Bates Smart stands as both an integral civic space and an enduring symbol of Australia. The embassy’s architecture, landscape, and commissioned artworks combine to embed an enduring relationship between Australia and the United States. The Embassy respects and upholds the character of the city of Washington D.C., completing Scott Circle and addressing the street axes to 16th Street and the White House and Massachusetts Avenue, commonly referred to as Embassy Row.
The building's siting acknowledges the site's transition from the predominantly residential urban realm to the north and the more commercial to the south. Its folded copper and glass façade combine in varying degrees of openness to respond to this condition. Formal access is from the south, acknowledging the White House, a 'garden face' with landscaping embracing Scott Circle and greater solidity towards the 16th Street Historic District.
Architecture - The Embassy’s monolithic form is inspired by Australia’s iconic landscape and embodies the essence of an ancient and vast continent inhabited by the world's oldest continuous living culture. Materiality and light play key roles in expressing the embassy's design. The appearance of the building changes throughout the day depending on the perspective of the viewer. The interplay of angled copper cladding and extensive glazing combine to create a dynamic and engaging expression of Australia. A striking tectonic quality, where large shadow line joints define a series of aggregated forms, creates a dialogue between positive and negative space. Symbolising Australia's welcoming nature, a celebrated gateway entry and visually open ground plane invite public engagement whilst providing the necessary level of security. The building is organized around a north-south civic axis and a large central atrium connecting the ground plane to the sky.
Interiors - The building’s transparency manifests the inherent Australian values of welcomeness and trust, while the interior’s expansive atmosphere is representative of the vastness of the Australian landscape and evokes a sense of something greater than ourselves. At the heart of the building, a large atrium serves as an organizing and orientating space, displaying a powerful connection between the ground and the sky. This central atrium gives rise to an axial arrangement of spaces that exhibit a strong sense of materiality. Australian timber is the primary material and expresses a series of textured horizontal bands that transition from rough to smooth. This response mirrors the protective qualities of the bark during the eucalypt forest's cycle of growth, burn, and regrowth. Intricate metallic filigree screens mediate the interplay of light and shadow in key social breakout and office spaces.
The security screening area provides access to the staff lifts, the consular department, and a waiting space, allowing for the clear separation of these key flows. The waiting space serves as the threshold to the formal and ceremonial areas and is furnished with bespoke rugs and handcrafted Australian-designed furniture. Specialty rugs based on Australian First Nations artworks establish a hierarchy throughout, with a feature rug separated into sections to define the series of key breakout spaces. These rug installations also create an inviting space for cultural exchange.
Staff social - The staff hub, located in the controlled access zone, is a key space in the building. It consists of a series of breakout spaces vertically linked by a feature stair, encouraging staff to move easily between departments and gather in social spaces, fostering a sense of collaboration. The main social space on level two acts as an events space to connect staff with guests. The bar’s informal design is constructed with robust materials, exuding a raw Australian character and highlighting Australian art and design.
Staff work - Agency interactions are actively facilitated by a workspace design that is deliberately equitable. Open workspaces with ample daylighting promote a calm and ordered atmosphere. The U-shaped plan and side core arrangement ensure efficient floorplates, allowing departments to adapt to changing requirements.
Furniture - A collaboration with the Design Institute of Australia identified a number of leading furniture designers from Australia whose pieces embody an informal, future-forward, and distinctly Australian aesthetic. Sustainable materials and finishes feature throughout.
Select pieces include:
- Re-interpretations of Robyn Boyd’s iconic 1960s sofas, located in the waiting space
- An executive boardroom table custom-designed by Simon Ancher using reclaimed hydro timbers sourced from Tasmania
- Elegant armchairs by Franco Crea
- Sofas for the head of missions office by Bassam Fellows
- Armchairs and sofa for the public spaces by Justin Hutchinsons and Kett
- Adam Goodrum Molloy chairs with custom seat pads, and tables that feature in staff breakouts in the atrium
Artworks - The display of Australian artworks emphasizes the nation’s artistic excellence and rich Indigenous heritage and depicts stories of vibrant diaspora communities. The selection and commissioning process for the works was guided by the Australian Government's cultural policy pillars of supporting artists, creating a space for diverse voices, prioritizing First Nations representation, and ensuring a meaningful and engaging experience for all visitors. A list of select pieces and artists is available upon request.
Sustainability - The environmental focus of the Embassy demonstrates Australia’s global leadership in sustainable design, products, and construction. The building is targeted to obtain a LEED Gold rating, with plans to apply for the Green Building Council of Australia’s Greenstar rating, making it the first such overseas Greenstar-rated project.
