The United States and Mexico have a consequential bilateral relationship, directly impacting the everyday lives of millions of U.S. and Mexican citizens, whether through trade, joint security, or tourism. Within similar timeframes, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations has undertaken five major builds across Mexico: four new consulate facilities in Hermosillo, Guadalajara, Merida, and Nogales, and a new embassy in Mexico City. Among the Mission Mexico new facilities, the new embassy complex in Mexico City is an important physical representation of the long-term commitment to the U.S.- Mexico relationship and a permanent presence.
In 1961, the United States established its first embassy in Mexico City, highlighting the strategic importance of its location in one of the world’s largest and most populous cities. As the political and economic capital of Mexico, Mexico City served as a crucial hub for diplomatic engagement between the two nations. The new embassy’s surrounding neighborhood has witnessed rapid development, characterized by residential, mixed-use, shopping, museum, and cultural facilities. This growth reflects the dynamism of Mexico City as it continues to evolve as a vibrant metropolis.
Project Overview
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects / Davis Brody Bond Architects
Architect
Caddell Construction
General Contractor
8.5 acres
Site Size
$943 million
Project Budget
$310 million
Estimated Local Investment
Focused on site-specific solutions that respond to the local culture, the new embassy design
accommodates Mission Mexico’s current and future space needs.
With over 530,000 square feet of space, the new embassy consolidates diplomatic operations that have been at disparate locations throughout Mexico City. The brownfield site, previously industrial land occupied by a Colgate-Palmolive factory, has been safely remediated for reuse
Design
OBO embassies and consulates often are the first experience host country citizens and government officials have with the United States overseas and the new embassy is designed to streamline the flow of visitors with an expanded consular space including 81 consular windows.
To ease traffic impact, the complex features discrete entrances for various functions. To the north, one entrance accommodates the large number of consular visitors and another welcomes visitors to the Benjamin Franklin Center. The design allows visitors to enter the campus to wait for appointments in the plaza or waiting rooms.
The building’s seven floors include two below-grade levels that balance its size without sacrificing usable space. These floors take advantage of sunken courtyards that provide views to nature and plentiful natural light.
Designed around a large, semi-covered, open-air courtyard, the embassy’s extensive outdoor space enhances opportunities for events and collaboration.
By incorporating the Benjamin Franklin Center on-site, the embassy has a flexible programming space to conduct a broad range of public engagement activities that will enhance connections between the United States and Mexico.
Construction
An estimated total work force of 2,500 U.S., Mexican and third-country nationals were engaged in the construction of the new embassy of which 1,800 will be local. Nearly 225 million USD was spent locally on materials and service related to the project’s construction.
Sustainability
The new complex incorporates rigorous sustainability and energy-saving goals to reduce environmental impact, optimize building performance, and enhance resiliency.
A strong emphasis was placed on water–use reduction and re-use to protect the city’s endangered groundwater aquifer. Not only is all rainwater harvested and stored on site, but the facility is also connected to the municipal reclaimed water system to support the building’s cooling system, irrigation, and toilet flushing. Large, underground storage tanks collect rainwater or fresh, treated water to guarantee a constant flow of water regardless of season. Local species adapted to the city’s climate and the seasonal rainfalls are planted throughout. Solar panels can produce over ten percent of power needs.
The project is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) green building rating system and is projected to earn LEED® Gold certification.
Art
The permanent art collection curated by OBO’s Office of Art in Embassies includes art in a variety of media, including painting, photography, ceramics, textile and sculpture by both U.S. and Mexican artists. Site specific commissions reflect an understanding of the diversity, richness, and often interconnectedness of U.S. and Mexican, and Mexican-American cultural heritage. The collection and commissions creates a dialogue of shared values between the people of the United States and Mexico.
Permanent art installations include commissions by celebrated U.S., Mexican American, and Mexican artists, including Tara Donovan, Linda Lopez, Christopher Adams, and Omar Rodriguez-Graham.
In the main courtyard, an artwork by Alyson Shotz explores scientific structures and pre-Columbian references. The elevator lobby features a ceramic sculpture by Linda Lopez, referencing Mexico’s ceramic tradition. The Multipurpose Room will showcase a painting by Mexican artist Omar Rodriguez-Graham, reflecting Mexico’s mural tradition. Tara Donovan’s art installation in the first-floor gallery hallway pays homage to Mexico’s metalwork tradition. Installations by Pedro Reyes and Caroline Kent further enrich the embassy’s spaces. Additionally, the consular entrance canopy will feature a mural by American artist Ed Ruscha
The Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE) donated a number of artworks, including Roy Lichtenstein’s Greene Street Mural.
