Countries are represented through their embassies and consulates, the former responsible for promoting the interests of the home country, handling diplomatic relations and supporting its citizens. Embassies are located in the capital city where consular functions also occur. Consulates may also exist in other cities. Consulates (and their chief diplomat, the consul) handle minor diplomatic issues such as issuing visas, aiding in trade relationships, and taking care of migrants, tourists, and expatriates. Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961, the premises of an Embassy are inviolable and “immune from search, requisition, attachment or execution,” but sovereignty of the embassy premises rests with the host country. Therefore whilst the embassy enjoys immunity it is not foreign soil as some think. Depending on the location and the home country the embassy buildings often can be grand and impressive. Some modern ones showcase the nation in a visual way.

It was a surprisingly cold and windy Madrid and my short visit was focused on museums and the central area, I only took photos of those I came across. Sorry if I missed yours, I missed mine too. Did I say it was cold?

United States Embassy

The Embassy of the United States to both Spain and Andorra is at Serrano, 75, 28006, Madrid, Spain. It was one of the first examples of international style architecture in the Spanish capital, and was inspired by the design of the U.S. embassy in Havana. It was designed by Ernest Warlow and Leland W. King with the collaboration of the Spanish architect Mariano Garrigues, on a plot where the palace of the Marchioness of Argüelles once stood. Designed in 1950, construction took place between 1951 and 1955. In the 1950s, the building was criticized by the Madrid press because of the contrast its modern design offered compared to the surrounding 19th-century buildings. The U.S. Ambassador to Spain also concurrently serves as the Ambassador to Andorra, with the U.S. Consul General in Barcelona taking active part in managing day-to-day relations with Andorra

Other Embassies

Here are a few embassies I observed during my short visit to Madrid.