The UN Headquarters in New York is a complex of buildings where the offices of the interstate union are located in the east of Manhattan. The 154-meter skyscraper, which houses the secretariat of an organization created to maintain peace on Earth and promote cooperation between countries, is recognized as the most recognizable building.
Short description
The complex consists of the General Assembly Hall, the Hammarskjold Library, a visitor center, and the offices of the organization's agencies. The land area is estimated at about 73 thousand square meters. This is an international territory that belongs to the Member States of the United Nations.
In addition, the Chamber of Nations has 3 more headquarters in Vienna, Geneva, and Nairobi. Usually, all important decisions are made in New York, which is due to the fact that most meetings are held in the United States.
Background information
- The General Assembly is located in a 4-storey building of 116 by 49 meters with curved walls to the east and west, a curved roof and a dome. Inside, there is a lobby for journalists and visitors on the north side, and a lobby for delegates on the south side. A hall is open in the central part, which can accommodate 1,800 people at the same time, and each delegation has 6 seats. There are other facilities, including a hall for delegates and the offices of the President of the UN General Assembly, a conference room, meditation rooms and a shop.
- The Secretariat building is designed as a rectangular slab without projections 22 by 87 meters, it connects to other buildings of the UN headquarters. The area is 82,600 square meters. The secretariat's offices are located on the upper floors, while the lower floors are occupied by press centers and staff quarters. It is noteworthy that the style of the buildings inspired architects to design other buildings with glass facades.
- The library is named after the second Secretary General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjold. It is connected to the conference hall and the secretariat by means of above-ground and underground corridors. In this place, UN staff and members of the permanent missions of the organization use reference and research services. The documents and publications of the global alliance are also stored here.
History of creation
Construction work on the creation of the UN Headquarters in New York was carried out in 1947-1952, after the approval of the plan, the American Government and the United Nations signed an agreement to provide the interstate union with a loan without any interest in the amount of $ 65 million. The foundation was laid in 1949, and the opening took place in 1951.
Teams of architects, engineers, and designers from all over the world were invited to work. The working group included Nikolai Basov from the Soviet Union, Max Abramovich from the USA, Ernst Cormier from Canada, Oscar Niemeyer from Brazil, Ernest Weissman from Yugoslavia and others.
Through their efforts, 50 projects were created, and Le Corbusier's concept was prioritized during the selection process, although his name was not on the final list of architects. His ideas had a great influence on the combination of a variety of styles, the choice of high panels, domes for the General Assembly Hall.
What to see
Sculptures with meaning are installed in the square in front of the UN Headquarters in New York. Soviet muralist Yevgeny Vuchetich created the statue "Let's change swords into plowshares" as a symbol of the desire for peace, in which weapons can be turned into instruments of creation. Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswerd presented a work of art called "Nonviolence," also known as "The Knotted Pistol."
The work "Good conquers Evil" was created from fragments of missiles from the USA and the USSR, the author is People's Artist of the USSR, Georgia and Russia Zurab Tsereteli. An "Ark of Return" was erected in memory of the victims of the slave trade, a gift sent by the African Union and the Caribbean Community.
Guided tours are held every day at the UN Headquarters in New York, usually starting with the General Assembly. The guides speak all the official languages of the United Nations, which makes sightseeing easier for tourists from other countries. In the art gallery, you can view works donated by the countries of the alliance. Among them is the huge stained glass Window of Peace, dedicated to the memory of Dag Hammarskjold, who died during a peace mission. One of the walls of the UN Headquarters in New York is decorated with a copy of Norman Rockwell's masterpiece, which depicts representatives of different cultures who are in peace and harmony. This is the epitome of the golden rule, which says that people should be treated the way you would like to be treated.
How to get
The UN Headquarters in New York can be reached by public transport. The nearest metro station is Grand Central – 42nd Street, trains 4,5,6 or 7 are suitable. Suitable buses are M15, M42, 200, 250, 500. You can get into a free taxi or call a car through a mobile application, use carsharing services that have been available in the country since the age of 21.
Gallery
