Ann Beha Architects Will Rehab Gropius's Athens Embassy

The Boston firm was selected from among 56 applicants, Sara Johnson writes.  In addition to ABA, the design competition shortlist included DesignLab Architects, Machado and Silvetti Associates / Baker, and Mark Cavagnero Associates.

Walter Gropius designed the Embassy, known as the Athens Chancery, in 1961.  Constructed of steel, concrete, and local marble, the modernist building is square in plan with a central courtyard.  In its press release, the State Department cited ABA’s “sophisticated understanding of the issues involved in renovating historically significant buildings” as a factor in its selection.