In a demonstration of strong ties of India and US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, a new Chancery building project for the US Embassy was unveiled by US Ambassador to India Kenneth I. Juster, India’s Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
“The project we celebrate today is more than a series of buildings and infrastructure. It reflects America’s enduring commitment to the U.S.-India partnership and is a testament to the strength and longevity of that partnership.” Said Ambassador Juster.
The new Chancery building will stand adjacent to the iconic original Chancery and the Ambassador’s Residence at Roosevelt House on the Embassy campus in New Delhi’s diplomatic enclave in Chanakyapuri.
When the new Chancery is completed, the US Embassy in New Delhi will join a long list of over 50 LEED-certified U.S. diplomatic posts and inturn reaffirming the US commitment to construct green buildings and ensure a more sustainable future.
Friday also marked the 62nd anniversary of the groundbreaking of the original Chancery in 1959. Designed by world-renowned architect Edward Durell Stone, the original Chancery was celebrated for its fusion of modern American architecture with elements of traditional Indian design. Frank Lloyd Wright called the Chancery “one of the finest buildings of the past 100 years.” The original Chancery and Roosevelt House are now listed on the Secretary of State’s Register of Historically Significant Properties.
From old to new
With a connecting central green space and a series of cast stone screens, canopies and garden walls, the new Chancery will reflect historic and modern traditions in New Delhi, while introducing a resilient design that brings the campus into the 21st century. The building is being designed by US architecture firm Weiss/Manfredi.
Environmental sustainability is central to the design and construction process. The new Chancery will meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards at the silver level. During the construction process, designers will also upgrade the entire Embassy Compound with a range of ecologically resilient strategies to create an integrated, sustainable campus.
The new building will include photovoltaic arrays and solar hot-water heaters, a wastewater treatment plant to support irrigation, sustainable building and site designs, and a water-efficient fountain redesign with underground stormwater collection.