The Secret Security of America's London Embassy

[Music] how can a building represents a country an embassy is more than just bricks and water it's a symbol of a country abroad crouds Grand sophisticated it should show all the Aires and Graces of a Nation presenting itself on the world stage the US Embassy in London is not just America's home away from home it's the embodiment of a special diplomatic relationship the relationship Rel special relationship and the seat of one of the most coveted ambassadorial positions in the world when it opened back in 2018 this wasn't just the largest Embassy in the UK but one of the most technologically advanced buildings on the planet it's an array of Hightech security features Blended seamlessly into a$1 billion Fortress that's actually modeled on the castles of medieval Europe but building it was anything but diplomatic the US gave up what was seen as the best located Embassy in London and a site whose history dates back almost to the founding of the Republic and they traded it all for this A post-industrial Wasteland that most Camp drivers would refuse to drive to this is the story of America's most advanced and most controversial [Music] Embassy [Music] okay so you're a newly established nation and you want to open an embassy in London there are a few things you should know first off you're going to need a headquarters now strictly speaking the building itself is called a Chancery the word Embassy refers to the people employed there and the work they do but for our purposes we're going to call it an embassy the embassy is considered American soil sir look boy now I'm in Australia now I'm in America Australia America Australia America Australia America Australia contrary to popular belief embassies are not actually The Sovereign land of the country they represent but thanks to the Vienna convention you will get some pretty good perks the host country isn't allowed to enter Uninvited and while the building remains under local jurisdiction it's exempt from pretty much most laws and you as a diplomat can enjoy full legal immunity while you're here appearances are everything in the Diplomatic world so you're going to want to join almost every other Embassy in the capital by moving here to West London it's normal to own your own Embassy outright but things are a little bit differently in Britain and you're going to need to take out a lease more on that later but don't worry because West London has plenty of tow houses in fashionably exclusive neighborhoods for you to set up Sho in Bel gravia is the obvious [Music] [Applause] choice you'll be an excellent company in Kensington or best of all there's [Music] Mayfair before you can start work your Ambassador will need to present their credentials to the King which until not so long ago required the use of some very fancy dress in 19 32 when EV Mei the new Soviet Ambassador arrived in London he asked Moscow if he should follow protocol and Wear Knee breaches at Buckingham Palace if necessary the kremin told him you wear Peto now embassies take up a good chunk of the best real estate in London but the US diplomatic Mission had one of the best deals of all you may know mayair as the most expensive spot on the London Monopoly Bard and it's here in groer square in the very heart of mayair that the US has had a tow hold for centuries so much so we even earned the nickname Little America it all happened in 1785 when John Adams moved into this little house on the corner and became the US's first ambassador to Britain an ambassador from America good Heavens what a sound since then it's housed two former embassies and during World War II it housed the European headquarters of the US Army and Navy then in 1960 the US Mission moved into this purpose-built Embassy on the west side of the square it's currently being turned into a hotel but its appearance hasn't changed much since it was first opened built at a time when the US had reached superpower status it evoked a country showing its confidence overseas designed by Finnish American architect AOS sarin this Monumental building combined ancient and modern forms like many structures in London it's clad in Portland Stone which along with its proportions help it sit pretty well with its neighbors despite its size remember how I said that Britain likes to do things differently while the land in this square and in much of West London is owned by The Duke of Westminster when the US tried to buy some of that land to build its Embassy on back in the 1950s the Duke replied that he would only sell up if America returned some of his land that was confiscated after the American war of independence a little place known today as Miami understandably the US refused but in a spirit of generosity the Duke offered a lease with an annual rent of one pepper corn instead but there's no need to go feeling sorry for the Duke of Westminster the current Duke Hugh groer is worth over 9 billion he's churning out billions off the 500 Acres his family's owned since 1677 new UBS data shows that in 2023 billionaires acquired more wealth through inheritance than their own entrepreneurship in addition to groer square the Duke's father left him an art collection worth Untold Millions meanwhile many UK taxpayers are cutting Christmas spending to make ends meat but working investors can still collect assets like these that have continued to gain value and thankfully we've come a long way since 1677 now everyday investors can invest in Blue Chip art straight from their smartphone with our sponsors at Masterworks they have over 300 offerings from artists like Banky Picasso and Jean Michelle basar art that's outperformed traditional Investments for decades just take a look at basar appreciation versus traditional Investments over 875,000 people are on board including B&M subscribers like you and altogether those people have seen over $45 million in returns thanks to them you can still skip the line and start your collection today at the link in the description now let's get back to America's Embassy in London by the early naughties the building was facing serious challenges post 9911 security had become a major concern and not just for the embassy now America's outgrown the neighborhood and after 9/11 security took precedence over prime location in 2007 a 15 million us do security upgrade created a ring of ballards around the site and closed this side of the square to traffic the needs of the embassy began to outgrow the building there was the security threat and regular protests outside the gates so it all became clear the embassy had to move but where to go from here it really is the best located Embassy in London it's near all the best restaurants hide Park is just around the corner if you fancy a stroll and Buckingham Palace is just a short limo ride away well to the surprise and horror of many a new site was found in south London now for those of you who don't live here south London South London was historically seen as the less glamorous side of the city Legend has it taxis would even refuse to cross the river after a certain time of night of course it's not but in a business where appearances are everything there was a pretty bold move at the time this area was home to a wholesale Market a sorting office a cement factory and not much else but the choice wasn't completely out of left field the embassy would spearhead a wider $ 48 billion Redevelopment of the surrounding area but even today despite a glut of luxury housing and an outdoor Skyball in tropical foxall there really isn't much here when President Trump complained that the embassy was moving to an off location he kind of had a point he was of course wrong about pretty much everything else in that tweet the hunt for a new site began in 2007 and a year later the new site was found the development was paid for by the sale of the old Embassy and other real estate in London around $800 million us was reserved for the building itself construction on the wooding design began in 2013 the building is a huge Cube per on top of an artificial Hill a nod to MTM Bailey style castles while also attempting to represent the Rock Solid nature of American democracy elsewhere the plan is a Monumental effort to soften and hide the vast security features of this impregnable Fortress the main building sits in the center of a spiraling Park featuring a mix of American and British trees it's a deliberate nod to the English tradition of urban parks while also providing the required 100t clear perimeter around the building to cushion it from blasts and provide a clear line of sight as you walk around you notice that there's no imposing perimeter fence instead intruders are kept out through the constant use of slight of hand the northern edge of the site is protected from the busy road by a hedge containing a row of anti- vehicle ballards if anything were to get through it it would career down this Meadow before falling into the 8T moat below it's 6-in thick glass is dotted with stars to prevent birds from flying into it elsewhere the entrance is guarded by Pavilions over on the South Side the building is separated from the nearby Plaza by a rising Meadow concrete seating doubles up as a vehicle barrier while further up another nod to traditional English Gardens the meadow grasses help to hide a trench known as a haha these were historically built to keep livestock out without spoiling the view now it does the same thing but for people the building attracted criticism when it was opened and the comparison with a castle was taken the wrong way by some the city's other famous castle the Tower of London was built by an invading Army to intimidate the local population the extensive security features however well concealed were seen by many as excessive even in an age where enhanced safety measures are a fact of life but as an embassy it has to represent America's position in the world both symbolically and practically from the building housing the new superpower confidently stepping into the shoes of the old world powers to the inconspicuous Fortress Keen to play down its size and power as far as embassies go it clearly breaks the mold perhaps in the game of diplomacy that's all that matters this video was sponsored by Masterworks you can skip their wait list at the link below don't forget that we're investing in the next generation of Builders through our investment into brick borrow a fantastic Lego subscription service you can learn more and get started today over at Brick bor.com and as always guys if you enjoyed this video and you want to get more from the definitive video channel for construction make sure you subscribe to the b1m

Channel: The B1M

Views: 1,557,942

Keywords: B1M, TheB1M, Construction, architecture, engineering, The B1M, Fred Mills, building, usa, embasssy, nine elms, battersea, mayfair, grosvenor, london, diplomacy, ambassador, history, design, us politics, diplomat, security

Id: 2G-HdtbO4CI

Length: 12min 33sec (753 seconds)

Published: Mon Dec 11 2023