Embassy of the State of Israel
View the architectural study
Interpretive architectural study of the catalogued property.
3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
Pale brick wings with semicircular windows step around a covered entrance at the first chancery completed in the International Chancery Center. The mission moved here in December 1980.
| Fact | Value | Basis and sources |
|---|---|---|
| Constructed | 1980 | verified; Public record or contemporary source; see Sources. |
| Acquired by Israel | 1977 (land lease) | verified; Public record or contemporary source; see Sources. |
| Neighborhood | North Cleveland Park | verified; Public record or contemporary source; see Sources. |
| Architect | Louis Bernardo; Yeshayahu Mandel | verified; Public record or contemporary source; see Sources. |
| Rooms | 75–180 est. | estimated; Planning estimate: rooms = building area × room-area fraction ÷ average room size. For this office property, assume 45%–65% of the recorded 68,788 sq ft is enclosed usable room area, with an average 250–400 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 | 68,800 sq ft | estimated; Contemporary reporting gives a 73,000 sq ft construction-stage project area; the as-built total was not independently verified. Estimate from the current ground-scaled model: four floors in the high L-shaped block, three floors in the lower wrapping wing and south projection, and one floor in the roofed entrance atrium. Add one basement with the 1,587.45 m² official roof-footprint area; the architect documents a large basement, while its full-footprint coverage is an explicit assumption. Exclude open arcades, terraces, steps and the detached lodge. Estimated main above-grade area is about 51,700 sq ft, consistent with the architect’s 50,000 sq ft office-space description; the total remains an estimate. |
| Site area | 51,300 sq ft | verified; Parcel total: 2055/0809. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded. |
| 2026 Value | $32.3M | verified; Parcel total: 2055/0809. 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. |
Scope and Evidence
The chancery opened in December 1980; the dedication took place on 18 December. The precise first day of office occupation is not separately documented.
The site was allotted in 1973 and its land lease signed in 1977. The United States owns parcel 2055 0809; the acquisition date records the land lease.
Contemporary reporting gives a 73,000 sq ft construction-stage project area; the as-built total was not independently verified. Estimate from the current ground-scaled model: four floors in the high L-shaped block, three floors in the lower wrapping wing and south projection, and one floor in the roofed entrance atrium. Add one basement with the 1,587.45 m² official roof-footprint area; the architect documents a large basement, while its full-footprint coverage is an explicit assumption. Exclude open arcades, terraces, steps and the detached lodge. Estimated main above-grade area is about 51,700 sq ft, consistent with the architect’s 50,000 sq ft office-space description; the total remains an estimate.
The 2026 assessment is $32,344,510 for land and improvements on the single parcel. Tax assessment. CAMA’s contradictory 2018 construction placeholder and zero floor area were not adopted.
Roof massing and facade openings follow the official footprint, DC 2025 aerial and supplied street and oblique photographs. The upper L-shaped block rises above lower wings and a three-arch entrance arcade. Heights, obscured openings and ground levels remain interpreted.
- github.com
- jewishvirtuallibrary.org
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- www.jta.org
- www.jta.org
- www.ncpc.gov
- www.washingtonpost.com
Research Questions
Where Is Embassy of the State of Israel?
3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008.
When Was Embassy of the State of Israel Built?
Constructed: 1980. Record status: verified. Public record or contemporary source; see Sources. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
Who Designed Embassy of the State of Israel?
Architect: Louis Bernardo; Yeshayahu Mandel. Record status: verified. Public record or contemporary source; see Sources. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
What Is the Floor Area of Embassy of the State of Israel?
Floor area: 68,800 sq ft. Record status: estimated. Contemporary reporting gives a 73,000 sq ft construction-stage project area; the as-built total was not independently verified. Estimate from the current ground-scaled model: four floors in the high L-shaped block, three floors in the lower wrapping wing and south projection, and one floor in the roofed entrance atrium. Add one basement with the 1,587.45 m² official roof-footprint area; the architect documents a large basement, while its full-footprint coverage is an explicit assumption. Exclude open arcades, terraces, steps and the detached lodge. Estimated main above-grade area is about 51,700 sq ft, consistent with the architect’s 50,000 sq ft office-space description; the total remains an estimate. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
What Is the Site Area of Embassy of the State of Israel?
Site area: 51,300 sq ft. Record status: verified. Parcel total: 2055/0809. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
What Is the 2026 Value of Embassy of the State of Israel?
2026 Value: $32.3M. Record status: verified. Parcel total: 2055/0809. 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.