United Nations Secretariat Building
Manhattan, United States
Exterior only
Visible from the street; the inside is private.
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The United Nations Secretariat Building is a 505-foot International Style skyscraper located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, designed by Wallace Harrison and completed in 1951. The 39-story rectangular slab, measuring 72 by 287 feet, houses the executive offices of the United Nations and is distinguished by glass curtain walls on its wider eastern and western elevations and marble-clad narrower northern and southern facades. Though situated within the United States, the site enjoys UN jurisdiction and exemption from local regulations. The building's 889,000 square feet of interior space distributes press offices and staff facilities across lower stories, with Secretariat offices arranged in a modular layout on upper floors, complemented by various artworks throughout. Its innovative glass curtain wall design influenced subsequent Manhattan skyscrapers. After staff occupation began in August 1950, the building soon became overcrowded and deteriorated by the 1980s; it underwent comprehensive renovation from 2010 to 2012.
Architect
- Built
- Type
- skyscraper
- Place
- Manhattan, United States
This building on
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Location