Jorge Otero-Pailos

Presented by the Onera Foundation in collaboration with The Glass House, the evening’s conversation explored the profound influence of the Harvard Five—particularly Marcel Breuer and John Johansen—tracing their evolution from designing experimental modern homes in New Canaan to creating visionary US embassies during the Cold War. The discussion highlighted how these innovative domestic designs, which introduced a new way of living, laid the foundation for an architectural language that promoted cultural and diplomatic exchange in the post–World War II era—an initiative known as the US Embassy Program. The panel also addressed the growing urgency to preserve these embassies as enduring landmarks of mid-century modernism.

Coinciding with New Canaan October4design 2025, this panel discussion explored Saarinen’s contributions to design innovation and its legacy abroad, most notably the two embassies Saarinen designed in London and Oslo as part of the initiative known as the US Embassy Program. The panel also addressed the afterlives of these modernist embassies which have been decommissioned in recent years.