Art & Hue

Embassy

Inspired by Eero Saarinen’s iconic architecture at Grosvenor Square in Mayfair, Art & Hue has created this new group of four stylish pop art prints featuring the former American Embassy building in London.

On Monday the 26th of September 1960, the then-new American Embassy came into use when the Stars & Stripes flag was raised over the stylish Modernist structure for the first time.

100 removal men and 12 lorries started moving the contents of the previous Embassy location on the night of the 23rd of September. About 775 tons of furniture and classified files were transferred from 71 Grosvenor Street to 30 Grosvenor Square throughout the weekend, ready for Monday morning.

Winning the Embassy commission as part of competition run by the U.S. State Department, the Finnish architect & furniture designer Saarinen went on to create the iconic Dulles airport in Washington D.C., and the TWA terminal at New York’s JFK, then called Idlewild airport.

President John F. Kennedy visited the building to address Embassy staff on the 5th of June 1961. His visit to London with the First Lady included a state dinner at Buckingham Palace, hosted by The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, and the christening of Jacqueline Kennedy’s niece.

Recognised for its architectural significance, the Mayfair building was granted Grade II listed status on the 21st of October 2009.

With the move to a new diplomatic location at Nine Elms in 2017, Saarinen’s Chancery is currently being converted into a luxury hotel by renowned architect David Chipperfield, set to open in 2023.

Exclusively by Art & Hue, the Embassy pop art collection is available in three sizes and 20 colours, all printed on museum-quality archival card of 310gsm, made from 100% cotton, with fine-art pigment inks for longevity.