About this book:
"Embassy architecture and design ranges from the humble to the stately,
from the practical to the grand. Building Diplomacy is the first
comprehensive photographic portrait of the official face of American
diplomacy around the world. Elizabeth Gill Lui traveled to fifty
countries to photograph American embassies, chanceries, and ambassadors'
residences. This record of her journey includes approximately five
hundred artful and eloquent interior and exterior views shot by Lui with
a large-format camera. Keya Keita, Lui's daughter and partner on the
project, shot a live-action documentary of embassies and the cultural
milieu of each nation Lui and Keita visited. The text includes an essay
by Jane Loeffler detailing the history of the U.S. Department of State's
building program.America's commitment to historic preservation of
properties has been realized in Buenos Aires, London, Paris, Prague, and
Tokyo. The modernist tradition is showcased in Argentina, Greece,
India, Indonesia, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Uruguay. Vernacular
buildings adapted to diplomatic use are widespread: Lui photographed
examples of adapted reuse in Ghana, Iceland, Mongolia, Myanmar, and
Palau. Buildings that reflect Europe's colonial legacy are also in
evidence. After the 1983 bombing in Beirut, embassy construction began
to reflect increased security concerns. Embassies built after 1998,
although isolated within walled compounds, are well regarded by those
who work in them. The author makes a case that embassy architecture is a
critical aspect of American identity on the international landscape and
can be formative in defining a new cultural diplomacy in the
twenty-first century. Structured geographically, Building Diplomacy
portrays embassies in Africa, East Asia, Europe, the Near East, the
Pacific, South Asia, and the Western Hemisphere. An appendix lists the
architects and designers of the featured buildings. More information
about Building Diplomacy is also available.Elizabeth Gill Lui is an
internationally known fine-art photographer and educator. Her work has
been recognized with grants from the Ford Foundation and the Graham
Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts."