The Canadian Chancery is a “country within a country” – a part of Canada within a foreign land. Its role is both protective and expressive: it offers refuge to Canadians abroad, while expressing our national character to foreign hosts. The brief for Canada’s mission to the Netherlands allowed us to explore ideas of connection and distinctiveness, tradition and innovation, and public/open versus protected/secure space.

Our new annex to the Chancery is linked with the existing structure across a transparent courtyard, and houses expanded immigration, consular offices, and international business development facilities, and a new reception room for 100 guests. Sustainable design features meet the stringent Dutch building code. State-of-the-art wireless communications and digital technology maximizes flexibility and mitigates expensive retrofits over time.