British architect Lord Richard Rogers and property developer and patron of the arts Baron Peter Palumbo have joined a host of other high-profile names as a design ‘jury’ to choose how the new US Embassy in Battersea will look.

The pair join Ambassador Clyde Taylor, sustainability expert Thomas Hicks, American architect Frances Halsband, landscape architect Peter Rolland, academic Michaele Pride and artist James Carpenter on the jury.

The jury will work with the nine shortlisted architect firms to design the new Embassy, close to Battersea Power Station on the River Thames in London.

The US decided to move from its historic Grosvenor Square base last year, and is now selling its long leasehold on that building to finance construction of its new compound.

The nine architectural practices selected to draw up plans for the new Embassy are: Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, Kallmann McKinnell & Wood Architects, Kieran Timberlake, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, Richard Meier & Partners Architects, Morphosis Architects, PEI Cobb Freed & Partners, Perkins + Will, and Skidmore Owings and Merrill.

The jury will judge the firms before moving to a four or five strong shortlist in the final phase of the design competition, before selecting the final design.