Architecture as a Diplomatic Tool: A Proposal for the New American Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq

This design thesis explores the design of a new American embassy for Baghdad,Iraq. The concept of symbolic representation of democratic virtues and the choice of anarchitectural idiom to represent the United States abroad are researched and discussed.Methods of incorporating symbolism into architecture and the role of architecture in ademocratic society are also covered.Problems and possible design solutions raised in this thesis are explored in a casestudy for the U.S. Baghdad Embassy (plates included in an appendix). The designsolution ranges from urban design issues to the development of ornamental patterns andmotifs. The architectural idiom used in the design is a hybrid of western classicalarchitecture and traditional Islamic architecture, with a primary focus on the study oflocal Arabic precedents