Building Diplomacy: The Architecture of American Embassies

by Elizabeth Gill Lui

Book Overview

Embassy architecture and design ranges from the humble to the stately, from the practical to the grand. Building Diplomacy is the first comprehensive photographic portrait of the official face of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801443261
• ISBN13: 9780801443268
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Four Stops Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 4.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 10.2" x 12.3"

Customer Reviews

Architecture for peace

The volume lays out in beautify photography the modern architecture of American diplomacy abroad. This is a book is a must have for all those interested in foreign policy and the diplomatic service of the United States. Our embassies are a projection of our nation, its culture and heritage. The creators of these structures clearly recognized their awesome challenge. Their work captures our imagination and our pride as American citizens.

Outposts of America

This is a magnificent book that reveals to the general public the story of many of our diplomatic and consular posts in spectacular photos and concise text. As a former Foreign Service Officer, I hope the book will be read widely, to give Americans a look at how our country is represented abroad through architecture, in styles ranging from former palaces to modern "fortress" embassies. Elizabeth Gill Lui and Keya Keita have done a superb job. Since I served in our embassies in Seoul (twice), Tokyo, Rangoon and Manila, I was particularly interested to see how the ambassadors' residences and chanceries (embassy office buildings) in those posts were presented. Overall, Ms. Lui and Ms. Keita did an exceptional job on them. The historic residences in Tokyo and Seoul are beautifully portrayed in some detail, including the original legation building in Seoul (built 1883) which is on the residence grounds and which must be our oldest diplomatic building in Asia. There are fine photos of the residence in Rangoon (aka Yangon), constructed for a great British timber company and acquired by the US circa 1950. There is also a photo of the interesting, though rat-infested, chancery in downtown Rangoon which was built early in the last century for the Armenian banking firm of Balthazar Brothers. Unfortunately, part of that view is marred by the blur of a passing bus. In 1988, the street in front of the chancery was the scene of a massacre, as Burmese soldiers shot down scores, perhaps hundreds, of peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators. Buddhist monks, students and others were saved when Ambassador Burton Levin told the Marine Guards to open the front doors and give refuge to survivors. Embassy Manila did not fare so well in my view. The chancery is an architectural landmark in US-Philippine relations, since it was built for the US High Commissioner to the Philippines in 1940, when the country took a major step toward independence. The building's flag pole still carries scars from the 1945 combat to liberate Manila from Japanese occupation. In 1946, the controversial court-martial of the Japanese commander General Yamashita took place in the embassy's ballroom. For some reason, Ms. Lui chose instead to show the rather non-descript 1960's vintage chancery annex and a photo of the back wall of the chancery compound facing Manila Bay. Building Diplomacy is a great visual tribute to the outposts of American foreign policy. Elizabeth Gill Lui and Keya Keita do not overlook the price we've sometimes paid for sustaining our overseas presence. They have dedicated the book to the American and Foreign Service National victims of the devastating embassy bombings in Beirut, Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam, and include a photo of the haunting Nairobi memorial. As another measure of the cost of our diplomatic operations, I would add the little known fact that in the last half-century, many more US ambassadors have been killed in the line of duty than US generals.

American Splendor

Wow, what an incredible book, the photographs are so sharp and clear. The text is highly informative and every major building is shown inside and out. Many of the buildings are just breathtaking and I was blown away at all the styles represented, though I must confess I will always be partial to the hotel de Rothschild in France, to think my country owns such a treasure. Again, I just can't say enough about the photographs, they are obviously done with a trained eye and a real talent. I have been looking for a book on this subject for some time and just was not impressed with what I had found, that is until I came across this wonderful book. I highly recommend it to anyone who has any interest in architecture or fine photography.