Swedish Embassy in Washington by Gert Wingardh

On October 22, 2006, a new embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden was opened in Washington. The authors of the 7,000 square meter representation are Stockholm architects Gert Wingardh and Tomas Hansen. The six-story building with a façade made of white stone, maple wood, and glass is situated on a bend of the Potomac River between the Washington Harbor and Thompson's Boat House. The cantilevered floors above are justified by the optimal use of the land. Typically Swedish elements such as "water, ice, dark nights, and white snow are to be represented through glass, marble, Swedish maple, and water surfaces." Two bodies of water are located right by the main entrance. A water channel with a bed made of black marble runs through a glass wall into a pool below the main staircase. The steps are made of frosted glass and lead to the Alfred Nobel Hall. From the rooftop terrace, one can see the Kennedy Center, Key Bridge, and Roosevelt Island. The entire design is "Scandinavian, economical, and modern." At night, "the building glows like Viking gold: the northern lights in the skies of the southern states." Info>
By the way, the name of the same architect is also behind the very successful Swedish Embassy in Berlin.