Some derided this building as a "fortress" and a "monstrosity" when it was built, but since then tempers have moderated and the United States Embassy has become an accepted figure on Sussex Drive. Because it is located on the last available piece of land in the neighborhood, the designers tried to be sensitive to its varied and historic environment. This task becomes even more difficult when you realize that there is no "throwaway" side or "back" that can be victimized with loading docks and utilitarian needs. The Embassy has to be presentable from every angle. The solution was to situate the embassy on a stone base that not only creates a level platform on the sloping plot, but also helps conceal entrances to loading areas and the parking garage. The building's towers are another example of how it tries to blend into its neighborhoods. The south tower is square and low to blend in with other York Street structures. But its companion, the north tower, uses a lantern shape to ingratiate itself to Sussex Drive sensibilities. The pinnacle that gets the most attention, however, is the atrium which joins two office buildings into one embassy. There are a number of quotations carved into the embassy's exterior walls.

• Most of the furniture in the building is made of maple, since the maple leaf is a symbol of Canada. The same company that made the furniture for the U.S. Embassy in Canada made the furniture for the Canadian embassy in the U.S.

Photograph courtesy Colin Kent.

Photograph courtesy Colin Kent.