New $1 Billion U.S. Embassy in London

At an estimated $1 billion construction, the new U.S. Embassy in London is looked at by many as a waste of taxpayer money. The extravagant design and amenities would make the new embassy the most expensive ever built.

The elaborate plans created by architect Kieran Timberlake include the construction of a light-filled crystal cube with lofted halls surrounded by a 100-foot moat as a security measure in order to separate the embassy from a busy road nearby. The moat encloses the 12-story building with natural defenses including meadows, woodlands, and a pond.

Certain people, including David Williams, vice president for policy at Citizens Against Government Waste,  believe the whole plan is somewhat ridiculous.

According to foxnews.com the U.S. Ambassador explained the need for a new embassy saying the current one has become over-crowded and doesn’t meet modern office needs and required security standards, and that it is also beginning to show signs of wear and tear.

The new embassy encompasses 500,000 square feet and is imagined by the designer to be a timeless yet ultra-modern update from the old one. It is expected to be the greenest U.S. diplomatic building in the world through being energy-efficient and carbon-neutral.

American diplomats will be moving the new embassy to a spot along the Thames in the industrial neighborhood Battersea.  Construction will begin in 2013 and expected to be completed in 2017.

New look at the New US Embassy in London