The Swiss residence is situated on a hill with views of the Washington Monument. It functions as a multifunctional microcosm of living and work space as well as rooms for official receptions and staff members.
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All official rooms of the residence and its adjoining rooms are placed on the ground floor while the living rooms of the Ambassador, guest and staff rooms are located upstairs.
The geometrical structure of the Swiss Embassy is a cross-shaped volume on a massive, rectangular base. The outer faces of the cross, also part of the base, and the resulting exterior spaces are allocated to adjacent areas.
The linear floor plan deliberately distances itself from the diagonal shape of the site. While the architectural lines and forms are clear, the sandblasted translucent glass panels lend the building a somewhat vague appearance. The materials used for this project are an important component of the design: The antracite tinted concrete and the milky glass are inspired by the black rocks and white snow of the Swiss Alps.
The cross shape of the Building creates complex interiors which are characterized by the interplay between translucency and opacity. The arrangement of the rooms is dominated by the double height entry with a direct view of the Washington Monument.
The new residence of the Swiss Ambassador is at the highest point of a large park. The park is bounded at its edges with newly planted trees and has been redesigned as a landscaped garden. The artificiality of the building was connected to the environment through a sophisticated network of trails between the residence and the park.