Beyond Embassy Row: How Missions Found Room in Washington

The Search for Space

Foreign missions in Washington have adapted private houses, built on federal land, joined redevelopment projects, and rented commercial space to accommodate their offices, residences, and expanding staffs. [3] [1] [2]

A Federal Enclave for Foreign Missions

In the early twentieth century, foreign missions favored houses along Massachusetts Avenue and 16th Street. According to the National Capital Planning Commission, those established neighborhoods remained attractive into the 1970s even as appropriate properties became scarce. Larger missions required more office space and grounds, while zoning restricted what could be done with available buildings. The State Department also saw a reciprocal interest: difficulties confronting foreign governments in Washington could complicate its efforts to secure American diplomatic properties abroad. [3]

Federal officials first considered an embassy center in the West End, between Washington and Dupont Circles. Congressional concerns about cost and displacement redirected the proposal to the former National Bureau of Standards site near Connecticut Avenue and Van Ness Street. Congress authorized the International Chancery Center in 1968, and its master plan followed in 1971. The enclave offered room to build, with security becoming an additional advantage over time. [3]

Planning Rules and Diplomatic Requirements

International Center legislation authorized the State Department to divide the land while giving NCPC authority over location, height, bulk, open space, and parking. Private property followed a different review route under the Foreign Missions Act. [4]

The Chinese chancery, begun in 2005, included connected office wings, an entrance pavilion, reception and banquet rooms, and an auditorium. The embassy’s account emphasized compatibility with neighboring buildings. Downtown, the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation expected Canada’s chancery to fit the avenue’s plan. [5] [6]

Alternatives Beyond Embassy Row

Canada bought its Pennsylvania Avenue site in 1978 and opened the chancery in 1989. Sweden had searched for a permanent embassy building since the 1960s. It considered the Georgetown waterfront site in 1997, then secured an option and preliminary lease when the opportunity returned in 2002. House of Sweden opened in 2006. [1] [2]

In May 2019, NCPC approved a plan for a 32 acre Foreign Missions Center at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center, with proposed capacity for 11 to 15 missions. [7] [4]