When the designs were officially revealed in the spring of 2003, the House of Sweden was hailed as a major new architectural achievement and pronounced an "instant landmark" and "sophisticated symbol of internationalism and openness" by The Washington Post. Scheduled for completion in the spring of 2006, the House of Sweden will be built on one of Washington's most spectacular sites, on the bank of the Potomac River near the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.The building will serve many official and cultural functions, housing not only the Swedish embassy offices, but also a conference center with exhibition areas, an auditorium, private residencies on the top floors, and a shared roof terrace for open-air receptions and events. The structure was designed by Gert Wingårdh and Tomas Hansen, two of Sweden's foremost architects. It will be constructed primarily of glass and light wood, with transparent and translucent exteriors conveying an immediate sense of light and space. In the words of Ambassador Jan Eliasson, "the transparency of the building will reflect Sweden's desire for openness and dialogue in the most important capital in the world. Our Embassy serves not only as a place for Sweden´s representatives to work, but also as an arena for the exchange of culture and ideas."For more on the architects as well as images of the House of Sweden designs, visit www.wingardhs.seFor additional information, including official statements and images from the groundbreaking ceremony, visit the website of the Embassy of Sweden in Washington D.C.Image: © Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB