JUSTYNA KOLARZ-PIOTROWICZ*

‘ARCHITECTURAL DIPLOMACY’: LOCAL AND NATIONAL SHADES OF EMBASSIES’ ARCHITECTURE

Abstract What is ‘architectural diplomacy’? How can it be defined? What are its attributes? These questions are related to the answers sought by Rem Koolhaas of this year’s La Biennale di Venezia (and the Charter of Stockholm) at the INTBAU conference. Both the local and national contexts of the host country – as well as the national context of the representative country – are the starting point of the design process. The first one is emphasized by the design method applied in Berlin – according to ‘Critical Reconstruction’. The second one is based on ‘Critical Regionalism’, which is illustrated by the design examples of embassies in the Tiergarten area of Berlin; these incorporate the interpretation of national signs. Dutch methods of national, local, and global references were analyzed according to embassies in Berlin, Warsaw, Addis Ababa, and Rome. Keywords: architectural diplomacy, design embassy, diplomatic outpost, national identity, globalization, la Biennale di Venezia, Rem Koolhaas

In 1914, it made sense to talk about a ‘Chinese’ ar- global’ and ‘national identity has seemingly been sacri- chitecture, a ‘Swiss’ architecture, an ‘Indian’ architecture. ficed to modernity’.3 One hundred years later, under the influence of wars, di- verse political regimes, different states of development, 2. Local and global aspects of embassies’ architecture national and international architectural movements, (...) architectures that were once specific and local have be- The subject matter of the INTBAU conference was come interchangeable and global. National identity has made more precise by means of additional issues related seemingly been sacrificed to modernity.1 to local tradition, identity, the ‘DNA’ of a place, commu- nity wisdom, and local technologies. With regard to the 1. Introduction architecture of diplomatic outposts, the foregoing notions are subject to a broader analysis. The term ‘l o c a l’ refers The announcement of the third session of INTBAU’s to the culture not only of the receiving country, but also international conference in Cracow, ‘Tradition and Heri- the delegating country. Tradition concerns the cultures of tage in the Contemporary Image of the City’, coincided both states; the ‘D N A’ of the site is related to the con- with Rem Koolhaas’ statement at the 14th Architecture Bi- text – the location of the building. The community wisdom ennale held in Venice this year. The article is an attempt refers to global (characteristic of a given state) and local to interpret the subject matter of Biennale – ‘Absorbing (characteristic of a specific location) architectural -prac Modernity 1914–2014’, in terms of the issues addressed tice in designing embassies, whereas the t e c h n o l o g y at the INTBAU conference: tradition, heritage, and global- uses two sources of knowledge – one from the receiving isation.2 An analysis of the diplomatic outposts that have country, and the other from the delegating country. For this been erected over the last 20 years (in the vein of contem- reason, the architecture of diplomatic outposts is designed porary architecture in Berlin, as well as the Dutch embas- on a local and global interface, thus referring to the con- sies erected in the last decade) reference the assumptions cept of regionalism in architecture per Lewis Mumford. of the conference; La Biennale di Venezia is an attempt Lian Lafaivre defines the aforementioned in the most ac- to answer the question whether ‘architectures that were curate manner: “With Mumford (…) regionalism becomes once specific and local have become interchangeable and a constant process of negotiation between the local and the global on many different issues that traditionally made up regionalism”.4 Balancing on the interface of lo- c a l a n d g l o b a l a s p e c t s is a constant component * M.Sc. Arch. Architect, Ph.D. candidate, Justyna Kolarz-Piotro- of designing embassies, which makes it a complex process. wicz, Division of Public Use Buildings, Institute of Architectural The terms ‘local’ and ‘global’ have shades Design, Faculty of Architecture, Cracow University of Technology; of two national identities. Regarding the Architect at Claudio Nardi Architects. t e r m ‘l o c a l’, the first shade is within the context of 1 R. Koolhaas, Statement for 14th International Architecture Exhi- bition (online): www.labiennale.org/en/architecture/ news/25-01. html, (date of access: 2014-05-10). 3 R. Koolhaas, op. cit. 2 ‘Globalisation’ – additional notion introduced by the speaker – 4 L. Lefaivre, Critical Regionalism. A Facet of Modern Architecture Robert Adam – who paraphrased the title of the conference: Tra- since 1945, [in:] L. Lafaivre, A. Tzonis (Eds.), Critical Region- dition and Globalisation in the Contemporary City, first day of the alism: Architecture and Identity in a Globalized World, Munich, third International INTBAU Conference, Cracow May 5, 2014. Prestel 2003, p. 35. 106 the embassy’s location in the host country, as well as local natural resource-efficient means and by regenerative design practices related to the embassy’s architecture in technologies’.8 a specific capital city; the other is a reference to the nation- The guidelines seem to be the road sign for the archi- al identity of the delegating country through solutions in tects of diplomatic outposts, and for the Ministry of For- architecture. First, the term ‘g l o b a l’ refers to the global eign Affairs when developing programme assumptions for perception of a specific delegating country abroad, as well embassy buildings. However, the erected buildings do not as the public relations policy of the specific country’s Min- always reflect these assumptions. An example of non-com- istry of Foreign Affairs; the other meaning refers to a glob- pliance with the Charter of Stockholm’s rules is the design al trend in designing embassies worldwide. of the United Arab Emirates embassy in Berlin, which is In summary, an embassy’s architecture a copy of the typical solutions for traditional buildings re- links the tradition and legacy of both lated to Arabic culture. This counts as an example of the c o u n t r i e s – the receiving country and the delegating ‘literal approach’ in architecture, which means ‘quoting’ country – by way of multi-level meanings of what is local the architecture of a delegating country onto the area of and global. the host country. In this light, Rem Koolhaas’ opinion that “architectures that were once specific and local have 9 3. ‘Architectural diplomacy’ become interchangeable and global ” is accurate. ‘Inter- changeable’, ‘alternativity’, and ‘interchangeability’ of the While focusing on the features referenced in modern diplomatic outpost’s architecture may be treated as a hy- architecture (according to Rem Koolhaas’ statement), we pothetical possibility of its adjustment for the purpose of can ponder whether the architecture of a specific embassy a diplomatic outpost of another state or, also in hypothetical may be ‘interchangeable, (…) global’5, modern, and there- terms, a possibility of the ‘relocation’ of the same architec- fore expresses a national identity in a diplomatic manner. ture to another capital city. In the first case, we speak about Diplomacy is the art of peacefully settling disputes. In the features of national identity contained in the solutions architectural and town-planning terms, the disputes may in embassy architecture, or the absence thereof. In the oth- refer to an approach to designing against the context – in- er case, we speak about globalisation and the uniformity of cluding location, its urban design background,6 and archi- the architecture of a diplomatic outpost, or the absence of tectural aspects, such as materials used for facades and architectural links within the context of the city’s fabric. form. The peaceful settlement of disputes refers inter alia In the event the embassy building lacks any direct refer- to solutions in architecture which have been designed with ence to the culture of the delegating country, such a building, a view to connect two cultures. hypothetically, might be adjusted to be the building of a dip- The assumptions of ‘architectural diplomacy’ might lomatic outpost of another state. An administrative building also be the three guidelines related to c o n t e x t u a l u r - can be adjusted to a diplomatic function; this transition is banism,7 o n e s included in paragraph IV of the Char- frequently due to economic reasons. Take for example the ter of Stockholm on 6 November, 2003 (the charter for Malaysian embassy, and the buildings that house the em- European urbanism by the Council for European Urban- bassies of Bahrain, Malta, and Luxembourg at Klingelhöfer- ism, or CEU). Robert Adam referenced it in his book, The straße (in the Tiergarten area in Berlin.) These buildings are Globalism of Modern Architecture, in a chapter entitled, only identifiable by their emblem and their flag.10 ‘How Globalisation Keeps Things Different’. The recom- Having applied solutions in architecture (which refer to mendations are as follows: the national identity of the delegating country’s ‘national 1. ‘Individual buildings must be sensitively linked to their shades of embassies’ architecture11’), theoretically, the surroundings. This issue transcends questions of style. change in ownership of the diplomatic outpost – without Urban architecture must respect the history and urban any interference in the structure of the façade or the interior context of its location, be diverse, and be receptive to of the building – would not be possible. the new. 2. Architecture and landscape design must grow from lo- 4. National shades of embassies’ architecture cal climate, topography, history, and building practice, and harmonize with and enrich their context. Another topic at La Biennale di Venezia this year was 3. All buildings must provide their inhabitants with the term ‘Fundamentals’, which refers to the basic com- a clear sense of location, weather, and time. Heating ponents of architecture, such as ‘floor, wall, ceiling, roof, and cooling should be affected wherever possible by door, window, façade, balcony, corridor, fireplace, toilet,

8 5 R. Koolhaas, op. cit. Council for European Urbanism (CEU), Charter of Stockholm, 6 J. Kolarz-Piotrowicz, Diplomatic Enclaves – Embassy in Urban 6th November 2003 (online): www.ceunet.org /charter -of-stock- Areas with Reference to Warsaw and Berlin, [in:] D. Kozłowski holm-6-november-2003 (date of access: 2014-05-10). 9 (Ed.), Future of the Cities – Cities of the Future, Cracow Univer- R. Koolhaas, op. cit. sity of Technology, vol. 9, series Architecture, Monograph 459, 10 B. Kuźniak, Lecture on diplomatic and consular law (2014- Kraków 2014, pp. 161-172. 04-15), Division of Public International Law, The Jagiellonian 7 R. Adam, The Globalisation of Modern Architecture, Cambridge University, Poland. Scholars Publishing, 2013 Newcastle, p. 252. 11 A. Tomaszewski, op. cit., p. 228. 107 stair, escalator, elevator, ramp’.12 From the entire set, only In summary, the national shades of embassies’ architec- a few forms have been selected – the floor, wall, window, ture can be expressed using diverse methods, depending on façade, and pylon, which is also one of the most fundamen- the ‘DNA’ of the national attribute to which the architectur- tal components in architecture; exceptionally, or perhaps al element refers. intentionally, so to avoid clear connotations with pilotis by Le Corbusier, which were not mentioned by Rem Kool- 5. Local shades of embassies’ architecture haas. The selected components were reviewed in terms of vulnerability to “the process of the erasure of national Context references were even stronger in new build- characteristics in favour of the almost universal adoption ings found in specific locations in the host country’s capital of a single modern language in a single repertoire of ty- city. Referring to neighbouring buildings helps to sustain pologies”.13 a place’s good traditions. In the case of embassies locat- National references to the global image of a specif- ed at Pariser Platz or Unter den Linden in Berlin, the key ic state abroad can be observed in the solutions in archi- policy imposed on the development conditions of the land tecture applied to the neighbouring embassies of Turkey, was ‘Critical Reconstruction15’ (in the spirit in which the RSA, India, and the more distant Saudi Arabia, all of embassies of France, the United States, and Hungary were which are located along Tiergartenstrasse in Berlin. Com- erected). The embassy buildings located at Tiergarten- ponents of the national identity of the delegating country strasse in Berlin respected building height regulations. have been incorporated in the facades of these buildings by means of contemporary interpretations originating from 6. Local and national shades of Dutch each country’s culture (such as the Arabesque pattern on ‘architectural diplomacy’ the façade of the Saudi Arabian Embassy; and a ‘girif’ pattern incorporated into the stone and copper façade of The cross-section analysis of embassies in a country’s the Turkish Embassy.). The application of façade materi- capital cities may be evidence of a concise public relation als is based on the material culture of the specific country policy related to visual diplomacy, one conducted by a spe- (for instance, yellow sandstone for the Republic of South cific Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Embassies of the King- Africa, and red sandstone for India). In the South African dom of the Netherlands are interesting examples of the embassy, traditional African handcrafted elements and co- architecture of diplomatic outposts; they present possible lourful ornamentation covering pillars have been applied. solutions and shades of so-called ‘architectural diplomacy’. These are references to the ‘traditional architectural style and forms of the Ndebele people’.14 The basic components 6.1. The Netherlands’ embassy in Berlin, Germany (such as ‘windows’, and to be more precise, an aluminium (2000–2004)/Rem Koolhaas, OMA load-bearing structure in the form of rectangular overlays The inseparability of architecture and context are sup- in the fixed places of the curtain wall) have been inspired ported by the connections to urban landscape that were by the colours of the national flag of the RSA. applied to The Netherlands’ embassy in Berlin. The basic The architecture of diplomatic outposts may also refer guideline concerning the lot selection for the new embassy’s to customs which are embedded in the culture of the spe- construction was its waterfront location.16 For this reason, cific state. In the Dutch embassy in Berlin, the uncurtained the new edifice was situated over the Spree River. The build- ‘windows’ derive from an aspect of Dutch culture, as they ing is anchored in an urban city fabric by glazed surfaces do not use curtains on windows in order to show they have overlooking the river. This allowed it to connect to a spe- nothing to hide. In contrast to standard window openings cific location while referencing the urban landscape of the (regarding the majority of embassies), the Dutch embas- Netherlands, such as buildings located alongside canals. The sy has been offered an almost completely glazed building, architect, Rem Koolhaas, embedded the embassy into a spe- thus providing passersby an insight into the buildings. This cific location by incorporating a view of a television tow- way the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Kingdom of er – one of Berlin’s landmarks – into the architecture. The the Netherlands demonstrate their ‘transparency’. designers created the trajectory of public space throughout In the Turkish embassy, the division of the building into the building in an unconventional way. No repetitive storeys two parts, connected by a glass atrium, has been ideologi- exist. Also, the height of each floor is different. The control cally supported by referencing the geographical location of panel of the lift (despite the fact the building’s height con- the delegating state. The bodies of the building represent sists five to six standard storeys) has 10 levels, including an the continents Europe and Asia – upon which Turkey is lo- exit direction for each button. This spatial puzzle was de- cated – whereas the atrium appeals to the Bosphorus Strait, signed for several purposes. One of them was to embed the which connects both lands. 15 H. Stimmann, Berlino, Berlin, Physionomie einer Großstadt, Fi- sionomia di una grande citta, Physiognomy of a Metropolis, 1940- 12 R. Koolhaas, op. cit. 1953-1989-2000-2010, Italy 2000, pp. 111, [in:] J. Kolarz-Piotro- 13 Ibidem. wicz, op. cit. 14 B. Hettlage, Embassy of the Republic of South Africa, Berlin, English 16 I. van Fournier, J. Schimmelpennick, Netherlands Embassy Ber- Version, Die Neuen Architekturführer Nr 49, Stadtwandel Verlag, lin, Stadtwandel Verlag, Die Neuen Architekturfürer No. 50, Berlin Berlin 2007, pp. 10-11. 2005, p. 6. 108 view of the TV tower into the building, which is an insepa- the award for architecture which has “unexpected relations rable component near the main staircase. The embassy has with their surroundings. The imposing architecture, both also incorporated a quarter development of nature, although archaic and modern, belongs to Muslims, Christians, and the corner of the quarter, compared to the Hungarian embas- native Ethiopian tribes alike”.19 Cultural connec- sy at Unter den Linden, has been given an unusual touch. t i o n s are another shade of Dutch ‘architectural diploma- Connotations of the natural, cultural, cy’ and completely account for the execution of the second and developed landscape of the Neth- demand contained in the Charter of Stockholm: “Architec- e r l a n d s (and ‘anchoring’ the building in a pertinent lo- ture and landscape design must grow from local climate, cation) form a dialogue between two worlds topography, history, and building practice, and harmonize – D u t c h a n d G e r m a n – thus creating ‘architectural with and enrich their context”.20 diplomacy”. 6.4. The Netherlands’ embassy in Rome, Italy 6.2. The Embassy of the Netherlands in Warsaw, Poland (2006–2007)/Cepezed (2004)/Erick van Egeraat) In the 1960s,21 the extension on the building of The Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ “objective Netherlands’ embassy in Rome was a failure to expand was a design that reflects the Dutch tradition of transparen- an urban mansion erected in the Renaissance style of the cy and openness”17 (as was the case with the Dutch embas- 1920s. The former building housed rooms with insufficient sy in Berlin) – the direct reference to the host and delegat- light, and which were separated by halls with separate en- ing country’s cultures at the Dutch embassy in Warsaw is trances. Spatial and functional solutions hindered the inte- derived from the character of Dutch architect, Tylman van gration of diplomatic staff who did not meet one another Gameren, whose activity in Poland influenced its architec- even in the halls. The decision to replace the complex and ture in the 17th century. Furthermore, the author of the de- intricate structure with a new one (with the intention to cre- sign, Erick van Egeraat, related to the environment having ate a work-friendly space) would provide rooms with extra a residential nature immersed in a natural landscape; leav- light – natural light. Another objective of the revival was ing as many existing trees as possible created garden-like to enhance the interpersonal relationships of the embassy’s assumptions of complex morphology. staff which is the foundation of an efficient diplomatic out- The expression of ‘architectural diplomacy’ in building post.22 The decision to rebuild resulted in an architectural the Dutch mission in Warsaw is the respect paid to the lega- contest being held; its outcome was to build the embassy to cy of the location’s landscape, and a reference to architect, the needs of diplomatic staff. Although the cause for recon- Tylman van Gameren, who connected Dutch and Polish struction was related to interpersonal relationships and im- history of architecture. provement of working conditions,23 simultaneously the ar- chitectural values of the embassy improved. The revival of 6.3. The Netherlands’ embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia The Netherlands’s embassy in Rome – under the winning (2005)/Dick van Gameren architekten design by architecture studio, Cepezed – provided not only for the integration of embassy staff, but also for complet- Due to his building activities in Poland, contemporary ing the part that was an ill-considered extension and was, architect, Dick van Gameren (bearing the same name as by no means, justified. Thanks to the revival of the 1960s the 17th-century architect), and Bjarne Mastenbroek were extension, the most valuable part was exposed – an urban honoured with the Aga Kahn Award in Architecture for de- mansion constructed in the Renaissance style24 in 1929. signing The Netherlands’ embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethi- The new facade made of corten became the background opia. In the design description that they submitted to the for the foreground – a mansion enriched with interesting jury for evaluation, the authors mentioned the programme architectural details. The results achieved are comparable by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the objective of to methods applied in the cycle of three paintings devoted which was to create new embassies representing Dutch cul- to St. Matthew in Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi. Lo- ture, while respecting the existing developed environment cated as close as three kilometers away from the embassy and natural landscape. The design executes the aspirations building, Caravaggio used them to draw viewers’ attention of the Ministry by applying local materials and employing local companies to erect the building. The structure’s red shade of concrete refers to the landscape of Ethiopia (the 19 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (online): www.government.nl/ colour of the soil18), while the shallow water reservoir in- news/2007/09/05/addis-ababa-embassy-complex-wins-architec- ture-prize.html, (date of access: 2014-05-10). corporated into the roof of the new chancellery building is 20 Council for European Urbanism (CEU), op. cit. in reference to the natural Dutch landscape. The jury gave 21 Materials received from Bas Ernst, the representative of the The Netherlands’ embassy in Rome. 17 E. van Egeraat Dutch Embasy in Warsaw, (online): www.erickva- 22 Interview with Bas Ernst from Cultural Department in the King- negeraat.com/default. aspx#/projects/royal_netherlands_embas- dom of The Netherlands’ embassy in Rome, 23rd July 2014. sy_warsaw (date of access: 2014-05-10). 23 Ibidem. 18 D. van Gameren, Embassy of The Netherlands, Addis Ababa, Ethi- 24 Cepezed, Netherlands, Empassy, Rome, Italy (online): http://www. opia – Dick van Gameren architecten B.V., Archivolta, 3/2007, cepezed.nl/en/projects/47-netherlands- embassy-in-rome (date of ac- p. 10-14. cess: 2014-05-10). 109 to what is essential and valuable in a piece of art by ‘con- the assumptions made by Rem Koolhaas: ‘evolution into trast of light and shades’.25 a single, modern aesthetic’,30 as national motives are Whether consciously or not, the reconstruction of the transposed to a contemporary architectural language by building stressed the value of an Italian residential mansion means of modern materials and technology. Paraphrasing by paying tribute to the legacy of ‘non-political and non- the curator of the 14th La Biennale di Venezia, references ideological’26 cultural goods (which the Ministry of to national identity seemingly gave way to modernity. The Foreign Affairs treated as a shared European and UNESCO emphasis is on the word ‘seemingly’ which, in the case of world cultural heritage site27). embassy buildings, reflects references to national motives The architecture studio, Cepezed, uses the term ‘radical in a more sophisticated, and less literal manner (and which is renovation’28 for the design of embassy reconstruction. characteristic of ‘architectural diplomacy’.) An analysis of Frequently, the word ‘radical’ is pejorative; however, embassy buildings as a local expression for specific cultures not in this case. Only radical change might have brought of delegating and host countries – leads to the conclusion such spectacular results, which support the first demands that the method of ‘reconciliation’ of two contained in the Charter of Stockholm: “urban architecture contexts in the design of one building is must respect the history and urban context of its location, decisive for the level of ‘architectural be diverse and be receptive to the new”.29 d i p l o m a c y’. The combination of the cultures of two The Netherlands’ embassies are at all times designed for countries is a response to the demands contained in the a specific location by referencing the national identity of Charter of Stockholm: “urban architecture must respect the the delegating and the host country. Various interpretations history and urban context of its location, be diverse and of being inseparable from the legacy are examples of be receptive to the new”,31 and that architecture should ‘architectural diplomacy’. ‘harmonize with and enrich their context’32. Designers of embassies consisting of solutions that can be defined as actions in the spirit of ‘architectural diplomacy’ bear in 7. Summary mind that “nowhere in Europe does purely national art The selected examples of contemporary diplomatic exist, (…) this art is a part of a larger entity only having 33 buildings are a stock book of solutions in architecture local and national shades”. which manifest in a diplomatic manner; they reference both the delegating and receiving countries. They confirm

25 K. Estreicher, Historia sztuki w zarysie, Warsaw 1977, p. 463. 26 A. Tomaszewski, op. cit., p. 58. 30 R. Koolhaas, op. cit. 27 Ibidem, p. 59. 31 Council for European Urbanism (CEU), op. cit. 28 Cepezed, op. cit. 32 Ibidem. 29 Council for European Urbanism (CEU), op. cit. 33 A. Tomaszewski, op. cit., p. 228.

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