The entrance location

Petrides Public Sculpture recommends the entrance location for its visibility to arriving guests, integration with the existing landscape, and comparatively straightforward installation.

Confirmed In September 2026 the Embassy selected the back lawn. This page sets out the studio’s assessment for the Embassy’s consideration.

Concept visualization: the bust at the entrance of Jefferson House — Concept visualization · Entrance location

The two locations compared

	Entrance	Back lawn
Visibility	Seen by every guest and delegation on arrival.	A focal point for receptions and events on the lawn and patio; not seen on arrival.
Base	One cylinder, Ø 65 cm, 120 cm exposed; monument height 220 cm.	Cylinder on a lower cylinder (Ø 120 × 50 cm) to compensate for the slope; monument height 270 cm.
Landscape	Framed by the existing hedge. Remove one planting and trim the hedge; the double row of privacy hedges remains.	Relocate irrigation; add a planted backdrop to screen the swimming-pool fence.
Lighting	Fixtures can be mounted on the existing poles near the gate.	No nearby structures for fixtures; in-ground lighting must be coordinated with the irrigation.
Coordination	Fewer trades; shorter schedule; lower cost.	More trades; longer site-work schedule; higher cost.

From the project briefing of 11 August 2026. Concept dimensions; final foundation and anchoring are subject to local engineering approval.

The entrance

Why the studio recommends it

It introduces Jefferson House at the moment of arrival, in the tradition of a commemorative figure marking a threshold.
The existing hedge provides a natural backdrop, with modest planting changes.
A single cylinder keeps the bust close to eye level.
Lighting can use the existing poles at the gate.

The bust would not be visible from the house, patio or lawn during receptions.

The back lawn

Additional requirements

Base height. The lawn slopes away from the house; a sightline from the patio needs the taller, two-tier base, which places the bust well above eye level at close range.
Irrigation. Existing irrigation at the site must be relocated.
Landscape screening. A planted backdrop is needed to screen the swimming-pool fence.
Lighting. Fixtures must be set in the ground and coordinated with the irrigation.
Coordination. More trades and a longer schedule.

If the back lawn is retained, the studio advises placing the sculpture away from the pool fence, toward but not into the centre of the lawn, and would ask to take part in planning and supervising the work on site.

Concept visualization: the bust on the back lawn — Concept visualization · Back lawn

A note from the artist

Installation experience

I have installed sculptures on cylindrical bases of this kind in Athens and New York, including Refugee—Woman of Smyrna in Neo Psychiko (2022), Aretaieia at Aretaieion University Hospital (2024) and Constantine and the Vision of the Cross in Southampton, New York (2025).

For the entrance, the written specification and guidance on this site will support the Embassy’s contractor, and I will attend the installation. For the back lawn, I would ask to be involved in the planning and on site, so that the sculpture is well placed at Jefferson House for many years to come.

George Petrides

If the entrance is confirmed

The studio issues the base specification: one cylinder, Ø 65 cm, 130 cm constructed and 120 cm exposed.
Embassy engineering reviews the base; facilities and security approvals are confirmed.
The local contractor builds the base following the base construction guidance; the hedge is trimmed and one planting removed.
Lighting is mounted on the existing poles at the gate.
The plaque is ordered once its text is approved; casting takes approximately six weeks.

Project status Download the briefing (PDF)