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Renovation: New SA Embassy : The Cambridge Shade Mesh provides shade and is transparent. -
Renovation: New SA Embassy : The renovations underway. -
Renovation: New SA Embassy : Cambridge Shade Mesh -
Renovation: New SA Embassy : Photo by Eric Taylor
WORDS Michaela Stehr
The South African Embassy on Massachusetts Avenue’s Embassy Row in Washington D.C. has received a facelift thanks to architecture firm Davis Brody Bond.
Originally built in 1935, the embassy received an extension in 1966. The limestone building was created in the old Dutch colonial style, wrapping around a centre courtyard.
A new Nelson Mandela statue was erected outside the building and the twin Dutch Colonial buildings are now conjoined by a glass atrium. For shade, a Cambridge Architectural chain link wire façade covers the glass exterior, adding functionality and aesthetic to the building.
“Visible from Massachusetts Avenue, our mesh is the perfect architectural complement to blend the beautiful limestone buildings and provide a backdrop that accents the Mandela statue,” said Ann Smith, Manager of Architectural Business Development for Cambridge Architectural.
The mesh has been chosen specifically for its “woven” appearance and transparency. It has also been used inside the atrium to accent the ceiling.
