In 2022, Indonesia started construction of its new capital city, Nusantara, on the island of Kalimantan. Soon, the country's administration, ministries and other government offices are expected to relocate from Jakarta, followed by diplomatic missions and representative offices of other foreign organisations. In this context, this studio sets a brief to design an embassy building for a country of their choice in this future capital city.
An embassy is more than a workplace. It is the physical interface between nations, a cultural signifier that projects identity while adapting to a foreign context. The design must balance diplomacy’s public face with its private realities, combining spaces for formal business, cultural exchange, and representation with secure and comfortable living quarters for ambassadors and staff.
Key questions guide the work: How should architecture express national identity in a global setting? How can symbolism be reconciled with the demands of security, sustainability, and context? What values should an embassy communicate, and through what spatial, material, and cultural strategies?
The project invites proposals that explore these tensions with creativity and care. By imagining new embassy buildings for Nusantara, the work examines how architecture can embody dignity, hospitality, and trust while navigating the complexities of diplomacy in the twenty-first century.
With thanks to the following contributors and critics:
Ross Anderson, ADP, Maren Koehler, ADP, Tony Lam, Cox Architecture, Estella Li, fjcstudio, Michael Muir, ADP, Patrick Shepard, WSP, Chris L. Smith, ADP, Coco Xing, MHNDU
