United Nations Secretariat Building

United Nations Secretariat Building
General information
Status Complete
Type Office
Location International territory in
Manhattan, New York City
Coordinates 40°44′56″N 73°58′05″W / 40.749°N 73.968°W / 40.749; -73.968Coordinates: 40°44′56″N 73°58′05″W / 40.749°N 73.968°W / 40.749; -73.968
Construction started 1947
Completed 1952
Height
Roof 154 m (505 ft)
Technical details
Floor count 39
Design and construction
Architect Oscar Niemeyer, Le Corbusier, Wallace Harrison, and others
References
[1][2]

The United Nations Secretariat Building is a 154 m (505 ft) tall skyscraper and the centerpiece of the headquarters of the United Nations, located in the Turtle Bay area of Manhattan, in New York City. The lot where the building stands is considered United Nations territory, although remains part of the United States.[3] It is the first skyscraper in New York City to use a curtain wall.[4]

History

It has 39 stories and was completed in 1952.[5] The building was designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier. This building is connected to the Conference Building to the north that houses the General Assembly, the Security Council, among others, and a library building to the south. The building houses the administrative functions of the UN, including day-to-day duties such as finance and translation. As part of the UN complex, the building is subject to an agreement between the United Nations and its host country, the United States.[6]

The UN Secretariat Building was renovated, starting in May 2010, and reopened via phased reoccupancy with the first occupants moving in July 2012.[7]

On October 29, 2012, the basement of the UN complex was flooded due to Hurricane Sandy, leading to a three-day closure and the relocation of several offices.[8]

Influence

The building style has inspired some notable copies, including the Headquarters of South Lanarkshire Council in Hamilton, Scotland, known locally as the "County Buildings".

See also

References

Notes

  1. Emporis - United Nations Secretariat Building
  2. SkyscraperPage - United Nations Secretariat Building
  3. Google Books
  4. Morrone, Francis (8 August 2008). "In Midtown, Modernist Perfection in a Glass Box". Ny Sun. New York. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  5. Hamilton, Thomas J. (October 10, 1953). "Work Completed on U.N. Buildings". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved 2011-08-07.
  6. Agreement between the United Nations and the United States regarding the headquarters of the UN Archived June 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine., retrieved 2014-11-01.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  8. "Storm Sandy: New York inquiry into overpricing". BBC News. November 5, 2012.

Further reading

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