Walter Gropius designed the embassy that was completed 1961 and is now a protected architectural landmark. According to Nikos Pegioudis, the designs “were supposed to propose a version of an Americanised Modernism that would balance the principles of the so-called International Style with a regionalist sensitivity.” It is a three-story building with a glass façade and central atrium. The roof extends to protect the interior from the sun.

The design was inspired by the Parthenon and it’s very clear when you see the concrete colonnade covered with marble. The Atrium is also a nod to Greek architecture. I like how it is modern building but incorporates features of ancient Greek architecture. Having an open-air courtyard within the building is a good idea, in my opinion. It provides a sort of escape from the office for breaks while remaining on the site. Pegioudis, Nikos. “AN AMERICAN ‘PARTHENON’ Walter Gropius’s Athens US Embassy Building between Regionalism,  International Style and National Identities.” Repositorio Comum, 25 Oct. 2018, comum.rcaap.pt/bitstream/10400.26/24598/1/28%20-%20PEGIOUDIS.pdf.