The Ice Cube cometh – at last!

Long-awaited plans for the opening of the spectacular billion-dollar US Embassy in Nine Elms were revealed when US Ambassador Woody Johnson announced on Twitter that the official launch date was set for 16 January 2018.

However, Ambassador Johnson was unable to confirm whether a much-anticipated visit by President Trump to open the building would take place in February, saying “a date has not been set”.

The glittering ice cube of blast proof glass and steel lies at the heart of a £15bn regeneration project in Nine Elms and may have even catalysed the creation of a new diplomatic precinct with other missions showing an interest in relocating south of the Thames.

The handsome building is a far cry from the usual bunker-type US embassies. Sustainability and transparency were key principles in the design by architects Kieran Timberlake, while the necessary security features are cleverly incorporated through landscaping, including a moat posing as a water feature.

PHOTO: New US EMbassy