Purpose

Located within theEmbassy compound onCathedral Avenue in thecharming Woodley Parkarea of Washington,D.C., the new SwissResidence offers a rareview of the WashingtonMonument. The nearly14,000 square foot build-ing is a striking emblemof the best of Americanvision and Swiss preci-sion. As an extension ofthe Swiss Embassy's workspace, seventy percent ofthe Residence is designedfor official and workingpurposes, i.e. workinglunches, meetings, net-working events, exhibits,and other culturalevents. In a given year,there are approximately400 working events and3,000 guests at theResidence.

Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, D.C.

Switzerland established its first diplomaticrepresentation in the U.S. in 1868. Since1941, Switzerland's official representationin Washington, D.C. has been located inWoodley Park. The Embassy in Washington,D.C., with 60 employees, is the largest andone of the most important Swiss representa-tions abroad. In addition to the Embassy,the other official Swiss representations inthe U.S. include Consulates General inAtlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York,and San Francisco, as well as the SwissBusiness Hub USA, and the three Offices of Science andTechnology.

Mission Statement

The Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, D.C.:

n Contributes toward strengthening Switzerland'spartnership with the U.S.

n Cooperates with the U.S. in building a better, freer,more secure and just, prosperous, and sustainableworld.

n Meets with U.S. authorities and actively advocatesfor an open, unimpeded exchange between bothcountries, societies, and economies.

U.S.-Swiss relations

Known as the "Sister Republics," Switzerland and the U.S.have a long history of shared democratic values and eveninspired one another's constitutions. Today, the twonations continue to enjoy strong political, economic, andcultural relations. A unique aspect of this bond of trustinvolves the "good offices," namely that Switzerland pro-tects American interests in Iran and Cuba. The politicalcooperation is especially strong on security issues such ascombating terrorism, nonproliferation, and crisis media-tion in international hot spots. In addition, there is a grow-ing relationship between the legislative branches of thetwo countries: Over 30 members of the U.S. Congress arepart of the Friends of Switzerland Caucus. A complemen-tary organization exists in the Swiss Parliament.

The relations also thrive because of the strong economic tiesbetween the two nations. For many years, Switzerland hasranked among the top seven foreign direct investors in theU.S. Six hundred Swiss companies employ more than500,000 people in the U.S. and annually invest over $4 bil-lion in research and development activities. On the otherside of the Atlantic, the U.S. is the most important foreigndirect investor in Switzerland. Over 650 American compa-nies are located there and many have chosen Switzerland astheir European headquarters. The two nationshave recently intensified their political, eco-nomic, cultural, and law enforcement coopera-tion through a series of bilateral agreements.

All photos © Andy Ryan except green roof rendering.

Embassy of Switzerland2900 Cathedral Avenue, NWWashington, D.C.Tel. 202-745-7900www.swissemb.org

The Swiss Residence

History

In 2001, the Swiss FederalOffice for Buildings andLogistics launched an interna-tional competition to designand build a new SwissResidence in Washington, D.C.The former residence, built in1926, was in poor structuralcondition and could no longermeet the contemporary needsof a diplomatic residence. Therenowned American and Swissfirms of Steven Holl Architects(New York) and RüssliArchitekten AG (Lucerne,Switzerland) respectively, wereselected from ten internationalteams that competed to designthis project by a blind jury. Theproject was approved by theSwiss Federal Council and theSwiss Parliament in 2003. Thenew Swiss Residence was com-pleted in August 2006.

Architectural Concept

The Residence is set on a plateau at the highest point of the site with an arrivalsquare, a reflecting pool, a reception courtyard and an herb garden. The design,in a cruciform shape, serves to divide the different areas into zones. The buildingis characterized by horizontal and vertical views through, into, and over it,repeatedly defining the structure in its complex shape.

The front façades of the wings are constructed in charcoal-colored exposed con-crete trimmed in a local slate and sand-blasted structural glass planks. Theremaining façades are made of glass and serve as transparent and semitranspar-ent areas between the inside and the outside. The resulting black and whitefaçades were inspired by the rugged snow-covered Alps of Switzerland.

The flat roof is a fifth façade with greenery. The low maintenance "sedum"green roof with PVC panels provides considerable energy savings, keeping thehouse cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The green roof alsoreduces storm water run-off, provides noise insulation, and has the ecologicalbenefits of filtering pollutants and CO2 out of the air and reducing the urbanheat island effect.

Constructed according to environment-friendly "Swiss Minergie Standards," thesouth façades use passive solar energy. "Minergie" is a registered quality label fornew and refurbished buildings with interior air quality comfort as its main theme.Comfortable air quality is ensured by the high-grade building envelope and sys-tematic renewal of air.

With regard to materials and energy consumption, the plan corresponds to LEED(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) principles for high-quality, sus-tainable construction. Other energy saving measures include automated externalwindow shades equipped with sensors that close when it becomes too sunny orwindy to better regulate interior temperature.

Amongthe publicareas are twoformal dining rooms,three salons, one receptionhall, and a stone terrace thatoffers a spectacular view ofWashington, D.C. and the park. The pri-vate space is upstairs and is divided into threeareas: the living quarters of the Ambassador and hisfamily, two guest rooms, and two staff apartments.

The rooms designed for official functions are situatedalong a diagonal to lend a sense of transparency andopenness. They are highly versatile and able to accom-modate both small and very large meetings for up to200 people. This is accomplished through the use of cus-tom-designed oversized pivot doors equipped withacoustic paneling to absorb noise. These doors can beopened to create a continuous flowing space or closedto accommodate smaller gatherings.

Interior Design

The Swiss company Zed. worked with the architects on the interior design con-cept for the new Swiss Residence. The result of this cooperation is that thebuilding can be experienced as a totality with the exterior and interior designscomplementing each other. There are three main characteristics of the interi-or design: the use of warm earthy colors, versatility and modularity of the fur-niture, and an emphasis on Swiss and American design.

The interior design uses warm color accents like mossy greens, chocolatebrowns, rusty reds, soft whites, and subtle taupes. The first floor, used for offi-cial functions, is dominated by a light-colored stained ash wood, found on the

interior doors by Steven HollArchitects as well as in the match-ing built-in drawers and shelves.These light colors are complement-ed by the dark mordant-dyed fur-niture specifically designed for theResidence. On the upper floorwhere the Ambassador's quartersand guest rooms are located, bycontrast, dark bamboo is used forthe wood flooring while the built-in drawers and shelves in therooms are cream and white.

To complement the American-Swissarchitectural partnership, Zed. usedprimarily Swiss and Americandesigners throughout theResidence. Swiss designer HannesWettstein designed much of thefurnishings including the CassinaGlobe couches and Americandesigner George Nelson added flairwith the coconut chairs found inthe salon. Historic artwork broughtover from the previous residenceincludes the portraits of the famousAmerican generals Robert E. Leeand William T. Sherman by Swisspainter Frank Buchser.