When the United Nations chose New York for its permanent headquarters, it faced an extraordinary challenge: how do you design a home for an organization meant to represent the world? The answer was quite ambitious: the UN brought together some of the greatest architectural minds of the twentieth century and asked them to create while cooperating. The result was a unique experiment in architecture and compromise.
A story of the neighborhood before it became home to the United Nations
The United Nations Complex
The centerpiece of the complex is the 39-story Secretariat Building with its distinctive green-glass curtain wall. The building opened for business in 1951 and quickly became one of the most recognizable symbols of the United Nations.
The complex also includes the General Assembly Building, where representatives of the UN’s member states gather for deliberations, the Conference Building, and the Dag Hammarskjöld Library.
Just outside the complex, a long, curved row of flagpoles displays the flags of the 193 UN member states, arranged alphabetically by their English names. Together, they form a 500-foot-wide approach to the Headquarters.
No Architectural Competition
Unlike most public projects in New York, where architects compete to produce the winning design, the United Nations complex was designed through collaboration. In keeping with the spirit of international cooperation, the UN decided that its headquarters should itself be the product of international partnership. Instead of holding a conventional architectural competition, it assembled a multinational team of architects.
Ten architects from different countries were appointed to the Board of Design, including Le Corbusier, a Swiss-French architect and a towering figure in modern architecture; Oscar Niemeyer, a Brazilian architect and one of the most important architects of 20th-century modernism; Sven Markelius of Sweden; Nikolai Bassov of the Soviet Union; and architects from Belgium, Canada, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Uruguay.
The American architect Wallace Harrison served as Director of Planning and led the team. Some of the most influential architects of the twentieth century were asked to design a building complex together.
What could go wrong?
Le Corbusier vs. Niemeyer
Le Corbusier presented his proposal, Scheme 23.
His concept called for:
- A tall, rectangular Secretariat building set perpendicular to the East River.
- A large, lower General Assembly building positioned near the river.
- A separate Conference Building connecting the major elements.
- A large open space in front of the complex.
- A deliberately asymmetrical composition, with the vertical tower contrasting with the horizontal Assembly building.
Then came Oscar Niemeyer with proposal 32.
Niemeyer’s Scheme 32 proposed an open composition rather than placing the major buildings in a single large block.
His plan envisioned:
- Three freestanding buildings arranged across the site.
- A tall Secretariat tower separated from the other major buildings.
- The General Assembly building placed toward the First Avenue/42nd Street end of the site.
- The Conference Building positioned closer to the East River.
- A large open civic plaza occupying the space between the buildings.
- A fourth, low building along the river.
Scheme 32 was initially accepted unanimously by the Board. But Le Corbusier objected to the location of the General Assembly. He argued that because the Assembly was the organization’s most important body, it should occupy the center of the site.
Niemeyer eventually agreed to move it. The debate became a classic architectural confrontation between two giants of modernism.
The final design, Scheme 23B, combined elements of Le Corbusier’s proposal 23A with Niemeyer’s proposal 32. The General Assembly was moved to the center of the complex, while the basic arrangement of the Secretariat and other buildings reflected Niemeyer’s vision.
A Garden of Peace
The UN grounds are also filled with sculptures and works of art donated by member states, foundations, and individuals. Many carry messages of peace, disarmament, and international cooperation.
The famous Non-Violence, better known as the Knotted Gun, is a giant bronze revolver whose barrel is twisted into a knot. Created by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, the sculpture was inspired by the 1980 assassination of John Lennon and was donated to the United Nations by Luxembourg.
Another sculpture, Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares, was a gift from the Soviet Union in 1959. Its title comes from the vision of transforming weapons of war into instruments of peace.
Perhaps the most dramatic is Good Defeats Evil by Georgian-Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli. The enormous bronze sculpture depicts St. George on horseback, slaying a dragon of war whose body is made from actual fragments of two Cold War nuclear missiles: a Soviet SS-20 and an American Pershing II.
Visiting the United Nations
Visitors can explore the complex through guided tours. The standard guided tour lasts about one hour and includes the famous General Assembly Hall and Security Council Chamber, subject to meetings and other UN activities. The UN offers specialized tours focusing on architecture, art, and the gardens, as well as tours designed especially for children. The Architecture Tour is particularly interesting for anyone fascinated by the story behind the buildings, including the collaboration between Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer, and the other architects who created the “Workshop for Peace.”
All visitors must register online with UN Security before arriving. Visitors 18 and older must also bring an original, government-issued photo ID; a passport, driver’s license, national ID card, or IDNYC card is accepted. Plan to arrive about an hour before your tour for check-in and security screening.
The UN recommends checking the official visitor website for current availability and prices before planning your visit.
Visitor information: United Nations Visitors Services
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