Foreign Affairs

More about the book

Berlin expects that the new embassy buildings of France, Great Britain, the United States and Switzerland will be built at the turn of the millenium. The former Allies thus return to their pre-war addresses by the Brandenburg Gate, in the heart of the city. The Swiss embassy, in the immediate vicinity, will be expanded and converted. These plans are complemented by the new Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, which will be erected at the former Schlossplatz opposite the "Altes Museum" by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. These representational projects were decided upon in international competitions, drawing the participation of a particularly illustrious group of architects. All the documented entries had to respond to an intricate question: "How can and should a nation be represented in a contemporary and appropriate fashion?" All the competitions and entries are chronicled comprehensively in this book, including numerous model photos and original drawings.