UN Site Model of 1956
This gift is a replica model of the United Nations Headquarters in New York city in 1956. The scene is frozen in time, as it does not have 2 additional buildings: the Dag Hammarskjold Library and the South Annex building, that are currently there.
This original site is owned by the United Nations and is considered an international territory totalling 6.6 hectares (16.2 acres). The main campus is comprised of 7 buildings, the Secretariat (built 1950), General Assembly (built 1952), Conference Building (built 1952), Parking Garage (built 1952), Dag Hammarskjold Library (built 1961), North Lawn building (built 1981) and South Annex (built 1982).
Delegates decided that the United Nations should be a joint project lead by prominent architects from many countries. The Chief Architect and Director of Planning was Wallace K. Harrison, of the United States. A ten-member Board of Design Consultants were nominated by their respective governments to assist with the design of the campus. The members of the Board were Nikolai G. Bassov (Soviet Union), Gaston Brunfaut (Belgium), Ernest Cormier (Canada), Charles-Edouard Jeanneret (Le Corbusier from France), Liang Seu-Cheng (China), Sven Markelius (Sweden), Oscar Niemayer (Brazil), Sir Howard Robertson (United Kingdom), G. A. Solleux (Australia), and Julio Vilamajo (Uruguay).
Bernard Eichwald (1922 – 2018) graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of New York in 1942 and established an electrical company in his name, B. Eichwald & Co. Inc. He was responsible for the installation and maintenance of all electrical and electronic facilities in the United Nations for 47 years. His patented earpiece enabled delegates to hear and receive simultaneous translations. His wife, Doris, worked at UNDP in various positions, including HR fellowship recruitment, and she left in her 20s to start a family and returned in her 40s until retirement.
Then, Secretary-General Dag Hammarskj?ld accepted the gift on the 26th of June 1956.