US embassy wins listed status
Protected: the US embassy, in Grosvenor Square, has been Grade II listed because of its "interesting" use of concrete and historical significance
Ruth Bloomfield12 April 2012
The US Embassy in Grosvenor Square has been protected with listed status, it emerged today.
Architecture Minister Margaret Hodge revealed she had given the landmark Mayfair structure a Grade II listing to preserve it for future generations.
She told Building Design: "The use of concrete is very interesting and for me it has got historical connections. I well remember the anti-Vietnam protests there in 1968."
The move could slash the £500 million the US government had hoped to make from selling the building because redevelopment options will be limited. The embassy will move to Nine Elms, south London, in 2016.
