Embassy of the Republic of Singapore
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Interpretive architectural study of the catalogued property.
3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
RTKL’s intersecting metal roofs, pale brickwork and teak screens bring tropical architectural references to Washington’s International Chancery Center.
| Fact | Value | Basis and sources |
|---|---|---|
| Constructed | 1993 | documented NCPC records construction in 1993; the completed building appears in the September 1994 architectural press. A contemporary newspaper report dates the opening to 28 September 1993. |
| Acquired by Singapore | Lease date unverified | unverified The parcel is federally owned. The lease or site-use start remains unresolved. The 2017 tax lot record dates parcel registration. |
| Neighborhood | North Cleveland Park | documented DC assessor neighborhood NBHDNAME for parcel 2055 0818; International Chancery Center location. |
| Architect | RTKL Associates | documented |
| Rooms | 55–130 est. | estimated; Planning estimate: rooms = building area × room-area fraction ÷ average room size. For this office property, assume 45%–65% of the recorded 49,653 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 | 49,700 sq ft | estimated; Estimate from model floorplates calibrated to the 1,274.93 m² official roof outline (EPSG26985). The plan separates the four-storey office wing, three-storey garden/east wings and curved bay, counting the tall entrance only once and deducting a 7.2×7 m atrium on two upper levels. The official embassy tender confirms a basement and attic: assume one basement matching the enclosed footprint and an attic occupying 50% of the main cross-shaped wall footprint. Remove roof overhangs using model wall lines before summing. The resulting main above-grade floors are about 33,400 sq ft, independently close to the architect’s 36,000 sq ft renovation scope; basement/attic coverage remains assumed, so the total is an estimate. |
| Site area | 37,800 sq ft | verified; Parcel total: 2055/0818. DC ITSPE LANDAREA, recorded square feet. Roads and unrelated neighboring parcels excluded. |
| 2026 DC Assessment | $23,809,860 | documented CY1YEAR 2026; ASSESSMENT = PHASELAND 5,665,440 + PHASEBUILD 18,144,420 for parcel 2055 0818. Federal tax exemption does not make the assessed value zero. |
| 2026 Value | $23.8M | verified; Parcel total: 2055/0818. 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 | 1993 | verified; Contemporaneous AP report in The New Paper, 29 September 1993, page 2, reports that Foreign Minister Wong Kan Seng opened the new Washington embassy the preceding day. The opening is independently documented in Ambassador Ong Keng Yong’s photograph, reproduced by World Scientific. |
Scope and Evidence
The exterior is an estimated-scale proportional study reconciled against the supplied aerial and ground photographs.
The chancery completion year is 1993; its earliest documented diplomatic use is 1993. Estimate from model floorplates calibrated to the 1,274.93 m² official roof outline (EPSG26985). The plan separates the four-storey office wing, three-storey garden/east wings and curved bay, counting the tall entrance only once and deducting a 7.2×7 m atrium on two upper levels. The official embassy tender confirms a basement and attic: assume one basement matching the enclosed footprint and an attic occupying 50% of the main cross-shaped wall footprint. Remove roof overhangs using model wall lines before summing. The resulting main above-grade floors are about 33,400 sq ft, independently close to the architect’s 36,000 sq ft renovation scope; basement/attic coverage remains assumed, so the total is an estimate.
Official DC address records link the chancery to tax parcel 2055 0818; NCPC identifies the same address as International Chancery Center planning Lot 14. Site area and assessment describe this federally owned parcel, not Singapore-owned fee-simple land or the whole center.
The commercial CAMA record’s 2018 year conflicts with the primary construction history; its zero floor area is treated as unavailable data.
- eresources.nlb.gov.sg
- github.com
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- maps2.dcgis.dc.gov
- static1.squarespace.com
- washington.mfa.gov.sg
- washington.mfa.gov.sg
- www.cfa.gov
- www.ncpc.gov
- www.usmodernist.org
- www.worldscientific.com
Research Questions
Where Is Embassy of the Republic of Singapore?
3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008. DC Master Address Repository address point 294570, 3501 International Place NW, returned as WGS84 geometry. The address record explicitly identifies parcel 2055 0818 and places the point at the center of the building.
When Was Embassy of the Republic of Singapore Built?
Constructed: 1993. Record status: documented. NCPC records construction in 1993; the completed building appears in the September 1994 architectural press. A contemporary newspaper report dates the opening to 28 September 1993.
Who Designed Embassy of the Republic of Singapore?
Architect: RTKL Associates. Record status: documented.
What Is the Floor Area of Embassy of the Republic of Singapore?
Floor area: 49,700 sq ft. Record status: estimated. Estimate from model floorplates calibrated to the 1,274.93 m² official roof outline (EPSG26985). The plan separates the four-storey office wing, three-storey garden/east wings and curved bay, counting the tall entrance only once and deducting a 7.2×7 m atrium on two upper levels. The official embassy tender confirms a basement and attic: assume one basement matching the enclosed footprint and an attic occupying 50% of the main cross-shaped wall footprint. Remove roof overhangs using model wall lines before summing. The resulting main above-grade floors are about 33,400 sq ft, independently close to the architect’s 36,000 sq ft renovation scope; basement/attic coverage remains assumed, so the total is an estimate. Verified in the record on 2026-10-24.
What Is the Site Area of Embassy of the Republic of Singapore?
Site area: 37,800 sq ft. Record status: verified. Parcel total: 2055/0818. 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 Republic of Singapore?
2026 Value: $23.8M. Record status: verified. Parcel total: 2055/0818. 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.