Embassy of the People's Republic of China Chancery
View the architectural study
Interpretive architectural study of the catalogued property.
3505 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
Pale limestone office wings frame a sequence of faceted ceremonial halls. Square skylight towers rise above the entrance court; behind the western block, a sheltered garden faces Van Ness Street.
| Fact | Value | Basis and sources |
|---|---|---|
| Constructed | 2008 | documented; Construction commenced in June 2005 and the architect dates completion to 2008. The new chancery hosted a National Day reception on 29 September 2008; the embassy’s building tour dates formal use to 1 April 2009. |
| Site-use agreement | 19 October 2001 | documented; The 2003 agreement and 2009 amended preambles identify the ICC Property Agreement of 19 October 2001. This is acquisition of USE, not fee-simple ownership. The original 2001 instrument was not separately retrieved. |
| Neighborhood | North Cleveland Park | verified; 3505 International Place NW lies within the International Chancery Center west of Connecticut Avenue, in North Cleveland Park. The adjoining Singapore, Israel, and UAE chancery sites are also in North Cleveland Park. |
| Architect | Pei Partnership Architects with I. M. Pei | documented |
| Rooms | 285–770 est. | estimated; Planning estimate: rooms = building area × room-area fraction ÷ average room size. For this office, ceremonial and parking property, assume 30%–50% of the recorded 429,480 sq ft is enclosed usable room area, with an average 280–450 sq ft per room. The range combines the low fraction with the larger room size and the high fraction with the smaller size, rounded outward to five rooms. Room allocation and average size are assumptions. Covers the recorded building area; the interior has not been independently measured. Estimated room range. |
| Floor area | 429,500 sq ft | verified; PEI Architects reports 429,480 sq ft / 39,900 m²; the embassy independently reports 39,900 m². CAMA gives no usable floor area for the building. |
| Site area | 116,200 sq ft | verified; Parcel total: 2055/0819. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded. Replaces rounded conversion of the embassy’s 10,796 m² description with the exact recorded parcel area. |
| 2026 Value | $73.3M | verified; Parcel total: 2055/0819. Active 2026 DC ITSPE ASSESSMENT; land plus improvements. Not proposed value, tax owed, sale price or leasehold value. The assessed parcel may be federally owned; this figure does not assert ownership by the occupying mission. |
| Diplomatic use | 2008 | verified; The embassy’s contemporaneous text of Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong’s September 29, 2008 National Day reception remarks explicitly identifies the venue as the new chancery and names senior US officials among its guests. This establishes actual diplomatic use in 2008. Regular use began on 1 April 2009; the reception establishes earlier diplomatic use in 2008. |
Scope and Evidence
The architect reports 429,480 sq ft / 39,900 m². The lighting consultant’s 25,000 m² describes an unresolved narrower scope and is not substituted.
The embassy’s 10,796 m² site converts to 116,207 sq ft; the matched DC parcel states 116,208 sq ft. The one-square-foot rounding difference does not indicate an additional parcel.
The ICC Property Agreement dated 19 October 2001 conferred site use; the DC parcel remains recorded to the United States. The architect dates completion to 2008, and a reception took place at the new chancery on 29 September 2008. The embassy’s building tour dates formal use to 1 April 2009.
2026 assessment: $73,281,690, DC parcel 2055 0819. The annual tax field is zero; that does not make the assessed value zero.
The model follows a north-up DC orthophoto dated 27 March 2025, reconciled with the supplied ground and oblique views. Heights, concealed walls, and grade transitions are approximate.
Each interior study follows a dated photographic installation. Capture dates remain unknown unless stated.
The residence is at 2301 S Street NW. Separate records cover the former chancery and staff property at 2200 S Street and the residence proposed at 2230 S Street in 1973.
- 2009-2017.state.gov
- 2009-2017.state.gov
- anc3f.dc.gov
- app.proxi.co
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- pei-architects.com
- us.china-embassy.gov.cn
- us.china-embassy.gov.cn
- www.fmsp.com
Research Questions
Where Is Embassy of the People's Republic of China?
3505 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008.
When Was Embassy of the People's Republic of China Built?
Constructed: 2008. Record status: documented. Construction commenced in June 2005 and the architect dates completion to 2008. The new chancery hosted a National Day reception on 29 September 2008; the embassy’s building tour dates formal use to 1 April 2009.
Who Designed Embassy of the People's Republic of China?
Architect: Pei Partnership Architects with I. M. Pei. Record status: documented.
What Is the Floor Area of Embassy of the People's Republic of China?
Floor area: 429,500 sq ft. Record status: verified. PEI Architects reports 429,480 sq ft / 39,900 m²; the embassy independently reports 39,900 m². CAMA gives no usable floor area for the building. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
What Is the Site Area of Embassy of the People's Republic of China?
Site area: 116,200 sq ft. Record status: verified. Parcel total: 2055/0819. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded. Replaces rounded conversion of the embassy’s 10,796 m² description with the exact recorded parcel area. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
What Is the 2026 Value of Embassy of the People's Republic of China?
2026 Value: $73.3M. Record status: verified. Parcel total: 2055/0819. Active 2026 DC ITSPE ASSESSMENT; land plus improvements. Not proposed value, tax owed, sale price or leasehold value. The assessed parcel may be federally owned; this figure does not assert ownership by the occupying mission. This is a tax assessment, not a verified sale price or market valuation. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
Related Reading
Cite This Article
Embassy of the People's Republic of China Chancery. Chanceries Diplopedia. Record version 7c1fadcba9ee5a62d9fd.