The United Nations at 70: Restoration and Renewal by Rizzoli International Publications

Rekindling the Dream C A RT E R W I S E M A N

When most people think about the world’s iconic works of architecture, they are likely to include the pyramids at Giza, the Taj Mahal, and perhaps St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. After that, they might add more recent examples, such as New York’s 1958 Seagram Building, the 1996 Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, or Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which in 2010 set a record for the world’s tallest manmade structure. Impressive as all these buildings may be, they represent some rather traditional areas of architectural activity. Two (the pyramids and the Taj) are memorials to the dead, one (St. Paul’s) is a religious shrine, and the remaining three are monuments of commerce. Only one building can claim a place on the list of international architectural landmarks as a symbol of the world’s most enduring aspiration: peace. Completed in 1952, the headquarters of the United Nations, on the eastern edge of New York City’s Manhattan Island, embraces the highest hopes of humanity as no other structure does. Conceived in the shadow of the failed League of Nations and the aftermath of World War II, the UN complex is the only place on the planet where representatives of all countries are invited to confront their shared concerns and conflicts. While individual agendas may include

famine, disease, the environment, or sectarian strife, the overarching UN text is how to survive as a species. But after more than half a century, the survival of the UN headquarters itself had come into question. By 2000, the green-glass facades of the 39-story slab of the Secretariat Building, which housed staff offices, were leaking, as was the roof of the General Assembly, where the delegates met for deliberations. Asbestos, once considered an insulating and fire-proofing miracle, had long since been identified as a deadly health hazard, and had to be stripped from the entire complex. All four of the buildings in the UN compound had fallen below fire and safety standards. Most troubling, in a world where terrorist attacks were becoming a grim fact of life, security was an increasing concern. The institution faced a formidable choice: should its headquarters be renovated, or replaced? Some speculated that demolishing the original structure and starting over might be more efficient and less expensive than fixing it. In the end, the UN decided to renew itself, a decision as important symbolically as it was financially. Well before the end of the Second World War, the Allied leaders were planning an inter-

A twilight view ot the Permanent Headquarters of the United Nations in New York as seen from the North of the U.N. site. The buildings are the 39-story Secretariat (left), the Library (background), and the General Assembly (foreground)

he Secretariat Building is what comes to mind when one thinks of the UN Headquarters. The sleek 39-storey tower became the prototype of the modern office building. Heavily influenced by the architectural vision of Le Corbusier, and constructed from 1949 to 1950, , the Secretariat Building set standards with its distinctive non-structural glass façade, the first curtain wall built on such a massive scale. The staff of the UN Secretariat staff moved into the building in 1951, eventually topping off at more than 3,000. The Secretary-General and his staff occupied the 38th floor. Before the renovation of the Secretariat Building began in 2010, all staff were relocated to rented office space, or into a temporary building on the North Lawn. As with the other buildings of the Headquarters compound undergoing renovation, abatement of all asbestos-containing materials was followed by demolition down to the bare concrete slabs. The most noticeable aspect of the renovation of the Secretariat Building was the replacement of the curtain wall, which had become leaky and structurally unstable. Thanks to extensive tests that were conducted to replicate its original visual appearance, the Secretariat Building now looks like it did immediately after its original completion, and the façade once again has the trans-

parency and the greyish-blue hue of the original glass. Both design features had been lost due to the application of insulation and blast protection coatings. In order to reduce energy consumption, the CMP purchased more efficient equipment to generate conditioned air, high technology temperature control systems, automated blinds in all windows, and the new curtain wall. The energy consumption was cut in half - the most important step to make the UN Headquarters into the “globally acclaimed model of efficient use of energy and resources” envisioned by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2007. The interior was updated in order to create a less hierarchical and more sustainable workplace for the 21st century, with more space for teamwork, and energy-saving features like a daylight-harvesting system. Before the renovation, the Secretariat offices were enclosed with floor-to-ceiling walls and doors. Most of the approximately 3,000 Secretariat staff members who relocated back to the renovated building in 2012 and 2013 now work in open work stations. The office floors are saturated with natural light, and great views are now enjoyed by all. The open office environment also reduces energy consumption, making for a greener United Nations.

A view of the newly renovated Secretariat Building of the UN Headquarters complex, on the day before the opening of the general debate of the General Assembly’s sixty-seventh session.

PR E VI O U S PAG ES

isci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

LEFT

R I G H T Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?â&#x20AC;?

RIGHT

At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati cupiditate non provident, similique sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollitia animi, id est laborum et dolorum fuga. et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus sperferendis doloribus asperiores repellat.