New U.S. Embassy in Libreville, Gabon Dedicated

State Department Photo

Office of the Spokesperson
Department of State
Washington, DC

December 6, 2012

In an important symbol of America’s commitment to an enduring friendship with the Gabonese Republic, U.S. Ambassador to Gabon, Eric Benjaminson, dedicated the new U.S. Embassy in Libreville today. Gabon Prime Minister, Léon M’ba; Assistant Secretary for Administration, Joyce Barr; and Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) Managing Director, Rodney Evans, participated in the ribbon-cutting and official opening ceremonies.

Occupying a ten-acre site in the Sabliere neighborhood, the $107 million multi-building complex provides a centralized location for the mission, as well as a state of the art, environmentally sustainable workplace for embassy personnel.

Sorg Architects of Washington, DC, is the architect of record and B.L. Harbert International, LLC of Birmingham, Alabama constructed the project.

The Embassy’s permanent art collection features works by celebrated Anglo-American, African-American, and Gabonese artists, curated by the Office of Art in Embassies. The artworks are organized around a theme relating to creatures of the forest – a formative force in Gabonese life. The collection also includes a commemorative portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the namesake of the road in front of the new embassy.

The new facility incorporates numerous sustainable features, most notably energy efficient building systems, low-flow water fixtures, and recycled materials. The facility has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification.

Since 1999, as part of the Department’s Capital Security Construction Program, OBO has completed 95 new diplomatic facilities and has an additional 40 projects in design or construction.

OBO’s mission is to provide safe, secure, and functional facilities that represent the U.S. Government to the host nation and support our staff in the achievement of U.S. foreign policy objectives. These facilities should represent American values and the best in American architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution.