Streetlife

So an exclusive gated. Community with property at prices no ordinary person could afford. Do we want a ghost town for the international tax avoiders and foreign corporations or afordable property for ordinary people on ordinary incomes. Hmm let me think!

When will so called "architects" and "designers" come up with something that is other than a glass box with variations?  Why does everything have to be in this design when London is made up of so many different types of building?  And this new build architecture bears no resemblance to the nearby old buildiings in my opinion!

Thanks for posting this.
Its just another set of buildings that will be pulled down in 30 years time. What a waste.
We want streets, not more tower blocks!

The PR video is hideously glib. The architecture is an affront to the word (I'm an architect). The concept is mega commercial. The social planning concept is one of complete wealth exclusiveness.

On another note the site appears to be on the south side of York Road presently occupied by Royal Mail, distribution companies and Covent Garden. I thought the embassy was to be sited on the north side of York Road as part of the regeneration of the Battersea Power Station site which has languished for 25 years.

Yet another area of London taken over by the ultra rich, and investors. Central London is rapidly becoming a no go area for anyone who is not wealthy but works hard. If we hadn't fought hard, the Chelsea barracks site would have looked like this. Hopefully the new plans for CB will be more in keeping with the area, AND will have some affordable housing (although this is a misnomer) as it is not affordable to working people who serve in shops, serve in restaurants, sweep the streets etc. I hate the way lower paid workers are being treated like dirt. Most of us who live in social housing do actually work! The wealthy now don't want to see the lower paid workers except those who serve them, and then they want them to get out of London, and leave it to them. London used to be a great city where rich and poor rubbed along together, and made London the vibrant city that it used to be.
Sorry for the rant, but as a working Londoner born and bred, who has always worked in retail, and never been able to afford to buy, I'm being made to feel, I should not be here.

One day there will be an interesting and exciting US embassy This isn't it.
How do they manage to have the ugliest building in town every time they redevelop their Embassy.

1:50 on the video:

"It's going to create a kind of value and a class you associate with Mayfair".

:(

Embassy will be located on site of Jack Berkeley and old Stationary Office further down Nine Elms.

Erratum;
I should have said '...south of Nine Elms Lane....' not ...York Road.....

What the hell do you all expect when the Americans are involved!!!

I like it. The area will change out of recognition it the next few years and the presence of the embassy will bring the touch of prestige that what's effectively a new town.

The video rankles though. I often wonder if architects and architect planners need to be taken down a peg or two.

Best - Ian.

Correction.

I meant this para to read...

I like it. The area will change out of recognition in the next few years and the presence of the embassy will bring the vital touch of prestige to what's effectively a new town.

Sorry - Ian.

So the USA will build a castle in London and we will slavishly ignore the hubris.  Does the USA need an embassy as large as this? Exactly what business do they conduct there? How would you feel if it was the Russians or the Chinese who were building this. I hear Abromovitch has bought Battersea Power Station so perhaps the Russians will build their own castle on this site.  Did it go before the planning committee? Do we the locals have any say in this?  Are we a colony?  Or just a colon?

Ian Bull
You are feeding the much maligning myth that architect's are responsible for the architecture. The video is mostly commercial megahype of the developers, the instructing clients who in turn manipulate the architecture. That said there are those architects who have a Mephistocles complex but essentially we all contribute to to the social porridge and ultimately get the collectivist result.

Living with an American I feel that the sructure is ugly as does she.I dread Obramovitch getting hold of Battersea Power station as I take my dogs for walks in the park. I foresee fans going in there and making a terrible mess of the current tranquil park.

The use of BPS for Chelsea's new ground was binned a few weeks ago.

I fear I shouldn't really be commenting as I know the people involved in this project. The one thing I have to say is enough with the American bashing. it's not fair to say "what do you expect when Americans are involved". I'm not American and have no allegiance but please we are here to have a healthy discussion not insult people.

Next yes this building is not to everyone's liking but it is going to be a US embassy so there is only so much they can do with this. After the UK the USA is the highest on the list as a target for terrorists so their building has to be pretty much bullet proof and indestructible. So not much room for making it attractive to start with. The design might not be to everyone's taste but it definitely will not be an eyesore like say Elephant and Castle.

Now I know I'm probably going to have loads of comments from this, but please believe me when I say these plans have been going around for almost five years until they found something that was slightly acceptable for the area and even saying that here is no guarantee that these plans will definitely go ahead. This area has been the talk for so many years now I'll be impressed when they actually officially sign the dotted long so to speak.

Sorry for any typos I'm on my iPhone.

Dianne, I dislike American bashing too so thank you for bringing that up.

What the american embassy is going to look like is not the major problem I think. It's a shame but I understand their security concerns. i'm not that surprised by its size either. London must be one of their largest embassies in the world.
It's all those exclusive high rises that developpers feel they should build around it. There are already far enough of those along the river around Vauxhall bridge. Some is ok, but lining the whole river front is a bad idea.
It's almost as bad as building high rises in front of the sea. Look at Monte Carlo now... OK maybe my comparison is a bit over the top. :)

I do agree with you on that point. Definitely not over the top. :)  I have noticed London transform over the years and you are right along the river its just lined by high rise apartments that only the super rich or richer than me :P can afford.  The bit I like the best is where Battersea Park is as everyone can enjoy the river that way. Okay yes there are foot paths along the way for people to walk around, but I do wish they would decide to build houses or even not so high apartments there.  I understand the need to build more apartments due to the growing population in London, but I wish there was another way.  I have no suggestions other than what I said, but its not really a feasible option. Just once it would be nice to have an architect and or developer who could play both sides of the field - one from the residents' side, so putting their needs and views into context, and then the other side, taking into consideration what the infrastructure needs.  Does that make sense or am I talking nonsense :(

As for American bashing I am all for it. When I think of the millions slaughtered throughout the world by the USA and it's proxies in my lifetime; the scale is of the order of Pol Pot Stalin or any other dictator you care to name.  And they are still at it in the Middle East and elsewhere.  There was an interesting article in El Pais last week.  It talked of Franco  (a US proxy) who used to hold a weekly cabinet where he went through the C V's of 'enemies of the state' and signed off on execution lists.  This continued up to his death in '75.   What a horrible story what a horrid man what an evil system!  Today every week Barak Obama holds his cabinet and signs off on execution lists of 'enemies of the state'.  an assasination by bullet or drone.  No due process the whole deniable.  But here's the difference, for the American people he is only doing his job and these 'cabinets' are proof of his American political virility.  Wake up America and recognise the very dark place your elites have taken you.

As for the embassy there is no other free country or nation in the world that would allow a foreign goverment to erect such a dominant 'STOCKADE', for that is what it is,  in the centre of the capital. No doubt it will have detention and interogation facilities. It is an entirely unecessary and unwanted statement of hubristic imperialism;  I wonder there is not more outcry.

Hi Nicholas...you seem to have strong view on the USA! Being half American by birth I can say that the UK uses almost the same techniques as the USA as far as terrorism is concerned. Barak Obama is on his first term as US president and it looks as though it may be his only one. Howeve the topic here is the Embassy which I guess is going to happen and as for being ugly there are many architectural monstrosities in London today depending on one's style and vision. Have you looked at the size of the MI6 buiding in London? There is space there for any amount of strange goings on but  as long as they are protecting our country I don't mind what they do.

It would have been a good idea to have had an architectural competition so that people could vote for which scheme they preferred, I personally find all these riverside flats plug ugly (unless one happens to live in one of course and has the lovely river views!)  There are many more imaginative and innovative ways of building flats, look at some of the major cities in Europe for example.

And I realise that the embassy itself has security issues, but surely these could be incorporated into something a little more imaginative!

Go for it Nicholas G! Things are always a bit more fun when you get going on a subjec t. And you're quite right - but that goes without saying......

Nicholas G, Well said

Hi Diane, Why am I American Bashing if I mearly express a contrary opinion. I personaly feel that the development is just another blatant example of America throughing it's weight about in the UK and if they are so concerned about security, why don't they go the whole hog and design the embassy to look like a bunker! It might be an improvement on the current design lol.