Looks Matter

Tom Friedman writes in The New York Times (Jun 1, 2005) that America’s image is damaged when, among other things, U.S. embassies are made to like prisons protected by “awful (looking) barriers”. He cites the barriers around our London embassy on Grosvenor Square, quoting Kate Jones, a British literary agent who often walks there: “They have these cages all around the embassy now, and these huge concrete blocks, and the whole message is: ‘Go away!’

Truly, appearances can send unintended messages. Until now, though, there hasn’t been a lot of choice in barriers. Functionality has trumped appearance, often to the detriment of sites being protected. But PRO Barrier’s Arrestor barriers featuring energy-absorbing elastic bands in a light-weight housing offer a high-strength, aesthetically pleasing alternative to ugliness. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder… so go to our website and see what you think.