There was a time that American embassies around the world were architecturally interesting. “Unfortunately, the general artistic quality of recently completed embassy compounds, as well as the two-dozen or so now in the pipeline, is not high. We’re looking at a new generation of embassies that resemble American office parks. The unsatisfying design and generally exurban settings reflect the government’s need to quickly replace a huge stock of functionally obsolete and insecure facilities.”