Koreans and Canadians share a reverence for nature. The design of the Canadian embassy aspires to express that common link. The building is fortunate to share a site with a 500-year-old tree, a living symbol of nature. The embassy’s entrance plaza is a gathering place, with the tree as its focus. The building, composed of two blocks tied together by a base, forms an undulating mass framing the tree. The massing and skin of the building are inspired by impressionist images of the Canadian landscape.