Chancery and Residence

The Chancery of the German Embassy

Forty-five years after it opened, the chancery of the German Embassy in Washington, DC, is still a landmark of streamlined, modern design existing in harmony with the natural landscape. Designed by renowned German architect Egon Eiermann (1904-1970), the office building on Reservoir Road officially opened on May 11, 1964.

: Enlarge image; The German Embassy as viewed from Reservoir Road in the early days; (© J. Alexander)

With the long, staggered rectangular shape set perpendicular to the street on a sloping site in a residential neighborhood, Eiermann accomplished a remarkable sleight-of-hand: regardless of how passers-by view it, the building appears to diminish in size. The 95,000 square-foot structure measures only 50 feet wide and is two stories high at Reservoir Road. It rises through a series of terraces to a total height of six stories at its center and recedes again until the fourth story meets the ground level along the northern side.

As Eiermann described it: “It is a giant house that no one sees.”

: Enlarge image; Eiermann designed furniture for the Embassy, like the chairs in the auditorium that are still in use.; (© Jerry Hecht)

On nearer inspection, Eiermann’s trademark exterior and interior design comes into focus. Based on the Bauhaus philosophy of “form follows function,” he created a thoroughly modern yet timeless design. A grid of catwalks and bars, glass and lattices of Oregon pine join the exposed structural steel columns in creating a shell around the entire building. In the interior, wood, glass and stone predominate.

And for those who visit or work inside the chancery, the walls of windows provide abundant natural light and views of the many trees and flowering plants maintained on the property.

Eiermann, also known for his designs of furniture and other interior elements, designed numerous pieces of furniture for the chancery that are still in use today, including auditorium and conference room chairs.

: Enlarge image; The offices with their walls of windows look out onto the greenery that still dominates the site.; (© German Embassy, Washington, DC; Larry Levin)

The German Embassy chancery joined a long list of important works by Eiermann, including most notably the iconic Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the heart of Berlin. In his 23 years on the faculty of the Technische Hochschule in Karlsruhe, he influenced an entire generation of architects, including one, Oswald Mathias Ungers, who would go on to design the German Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, DC, which opened in 1994.

Forty-five years after its completion, the chancery continues to fulfill the architect’s original vision: “May this house not only be an Embassy, but have a mission as well.”

The Residence of the German Ambassador

The Residence of the Ambassador has become something of a modern architectural landmark in the city of Washington. Set on a hill near Georgetown, the stark, light limestone structure overlooks the city and the Potomac River.Architect O.M. Ungers, of Frankfurt on the Main River, sought to blend familiar forms and architectural styles for a modern, rational configuration.

: Enlarge image; The German Ambassador's Residence is set on a hill, overlooks the city and the Potomac River.; (© GIC; L. Levine)

The natural stone of the exterior, for example, reflects the Washington architectural tradition of the 19th century and the Greek Revival era. The selection of Ungers in the 1988 design competition is particularly significant as he had been a student of Egon Eiermann, the man who designed the chancery, the embassy's office building.

Facts and Figures

Groundbreaking - May 1992
Official opening - September 1994
Functional space - approximately 19,270 square feet
Construction costs - about $18.9 million
Landscape architect - Dr. Bernard Korte, Düsseldorf

Design

Enlarge image

The portico over the main entrance to the residence.

(© GIC; L. Levine)

Elements such as walls, towers, gables, arcades, windows and rooms are juxtaposed and linked to resemble a small urban complex more than a single-dwelling home.
The structure is based on a square floor-plan.
Official rooms and service areas make up the first floor.
The two-story reception hall stands out with its a gabled roof. An expansive glass wall at one end overlooks the southern terrace.
Artist Markus Lüpertz created a frieze of paintings, each depicting the head of Parsifal, for the long facing walls of the reception hall.
Artists' works were also commissioned or chosen to complement the architecture of the entrance hall, sitting rooms and L-shaped dining room.
Ungers designed the furniture in the official rooms and influenced the selection of silverware, china and tablecloths as well.The landscaped park adjoining the residence includes winding footpaths, a pond, a rose garden, and a steel pavilion.

: Enlarge image; From the terrace, a magnificent sweeeping view unfolds from the highest point of the landscaped grounds.; (© GIC; L. Levine)

"With its formal clarity and craftsmanly precision it becomes a model for cultural diversity. The residence of the German ambassador is therefore not only a place for public representation, but also, through its architecture, a mediator between the cultures of two nations."

Architect O.M. Ungers, of Frankfurt on the Main RiverWinner of the 1988 architectural competition for the residence design.