U.S. Embassy in London—Poetry of Place

Practice Area

Client

U.S. State Department

Industry

  1. C&G created all of the embassy’s exterior and interior signage. The identification sign was coordinated directly with the granite wall and fountain.

  2. The main sign went through numerous design concept iterations such as raised stone lettering, applied metal lettering.

  3. In the reception area, the notion of “poetry of place” is expressed with a monolithic country seal.

  4. The concept surfaces inside and out, with poignant quotes from Martin Luther King and others carved into interior limestone walls and flooring.

  5. Other signs in the site, landscape and inside have been carefully integrated with materials and architecture.

  6. The branding and sign program are done at a high design standard; utilize sustainable materials and embrace an American character reinforcing landscape, architecture and art program expressions.

  7. Exterior and interior garden habitat and flora are interpreted by making connections with American prairie, redwood and desert landscapes.

  8. The Graphics reflect the State Department’s brand and interpret the legacy of the Embassy’s ambassadors.

Project Vision

C&G Partners developed a comprehensive site and interior signage and wayfinding program for the U.S. Embassy in London. Responsible for embassy branding, experiential graphics and interpretive design, the studio strove to create a particular poetry of place in a manner that a welcoming American emissary might employ.

The concept of “poetry of place” was developed to accommodate functional needs with messages of openness and American culture. At the doorstep, the studio juxtaposed the solidity of “Embassy of the United States” in bronze inset in granite adjacent to a waterfall and symbolic pond. In the reception area, the notion of “poetry of place” is expressed with a monolithic country seal that crowns the intimately chiseled names of ministers and U.S. ambassadors to the U.K.

The concept surfaces inside and out, with poignant iconic quotes from Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy and others embedded in exterior stone paving and carved into interior limestone walls and flooring. The identification sign was coordinated directly with the granite wall and fountain, with each stone matching the letter in the same fashion as historic metal typography that created documents like the Declaration of Independence broadsides.

The greatest challenge was balancing the functional needs of a foreign diplomatic outpost with overtures to openness and inspirational American culture. The U.S. State Department construction protocol limits oversight. The Embassy commission also took many years to realize; C&G was brought in early and periodically re-engaged when input on experiential graphics and signage was needed.

Project Details
Design Team

Keith Helmetag (partner-in-charge), Amy Siegel (partner, lead sign designer)

Consultants

Kieran Timberlake Architects, Olin Landscape Architects