The US Embassy & the Keynote Lecture - Connections from the Past
Fiona Mckay
In 2002, AIA UK’s 1st Keynote Lecture featured Rick Mather RIBA– the American architect working in London who had earned an exceptional international reputation. It was held in the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square and offered a rare opportunity for a capacity AIA audience to circumvent the iconic, listed façade and US security guards and to visit the interior of the Eero Saarinen designed building.
The 2003 Newsletter article extracted below gave an abbreviated, low key summary of Rick Mather’s illustrious career. He is perhaps best known for his adaptations of four British Museums - the Dulwich Picture Gallery, National Maritime Museum, the Wallace Collection and the Ashmolean in Oxford – the latter celebrated as 2010 Building of the Year and shortlisted for the Stirling Prize.
Although it is not listed in the extensive online references to his career, Rick Mather was not only RIBA but also International Associate AIA and a bona fide, active member of the AIA UK Chapter.
Stephan Reinke FAIA – the UK Chapter’s 1st President - recalls him as a Chapter friend who participated in AIA UK’s Design Awards as both juror and winner; served as juror at the 1st AIA UK Charette; and spoke at an early AIA International Conference.
In 2002, getting the US Embassy to open up – particularly in the post 9/11 atmosphere - was a major achievement for lecture organiser, Lester Korzilius FAIA. After his first success, Korzilius continued in cooperation with other AIA UK members to organise subsequent Keynote Lectures. Whenever possible, speakers were selected with America, preferably Anglo-American, connections but the selections were always subject to availability.
2002 Rick Mather, @ US Embassy
2003 Cesar Pelli, @ Canary Wharf Winter Garden
2005 William Pedersen
2006 Rafael Vinoly
2007 Antoine Predock
2008 Peter Eisenman
2012 Ricardo Legoreta
2015 Tod Williams & Billie Tsien
2016 Thomas Phifer
2017 Steven Holl
2018 James Timberlake & Stephen Kieran
2020 Francis Kéré, @ Virtual Lecture
2021 Tatiana Bilbao
2022 Annabelle Selldorf
In 2005, the AIA Keynote lectures were moved to the welcoming, venerable venue of the RIBA Jarvis Hall where they continue to this day. They remain a lasting symbol of cooperation and collaboration between two, likeminded institutions.
In 2018, AIA UK invited the designers of the recently completed US Embassy in London - James Timberlake FAIA and Stephen Kieran FAIA - to be the Keynote speakers. As per the AIA UK Newsletter, “Kieran and Timberlake spoke eloquently of the conceptual ambitions of the scheme, to embody ideals of transparency and openness, while balancing the strict security requirements of an embassy and the firm’s quest for pushing the boundaries of building technology”.
Timberlake and Kieran from AIA UK Newsletter at the RIBA (see Here).
As ‘strict security requirements’ remain an issue with US Embassies around the world, it was with great surprise and pleasure that the current Chapter President, Gregory Fonseca AIA, achieved clearance for an AIA UK building tour to the new US Embassy with its own iconic façade in late 2023 (see Here).
Although the evening was stormy, the Embassy’s welcome was warm, with the AIA group enjoying the hospitality of the Embassy’s private nightspot at the tour’s end.
Written by Lorraine D King, AIA
