Few buildings are more symbolically charged than an embassy, the tangible emblem of a nation’s foreign presence. With complex programs, embassy office buildings, or chanceries (not to be confused with ambassadorial residences), house diplomatic and consular offices, some of which are open to the public and some not. They also host numerous government agencies, including trade, agriculture, public health, law enforcement, and defense. Thus, they serve many clients with varied agendas. Historically speaking, no country has more expansively explored this building type as a tool of cultural diplomacy than the United States, which, however, did not create its own diplomatic architecture until the third decade of the 20th century. Embarrassing comparisons between U.S. facilities and those of Germany, England, France, and Japan and a feeling that independent wealth should not be a prerequisite for diplomatic service prompted Congress to pass legislation authorizing construction of the first f...