United Nations NY Site
The United Nations Headquarters in New York City is owned by the United Nations and it is considered an international territory. The main campus is comprised of 7 buildings, the Secretariat (1950), General Assembly building (1952), Conference Building (1952), Parking Garage building (1952), Library Building (1961), North Lawn building (built 1981) and South Annex building (1982). In January 1949, the construction contract for the headquarters was awarded. Delegates agreed that this was a joint project of leading architects. The members of the Board of Design 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 (UK); G. A. Solleux (Australia); and Julio Vilamajo (Uruguay). The Director of Planning was Wallace K. Harrison (United States of America), who was responsible to build ideas together. This assembly of buildings on this site is considered as an “International style” of architecture due to its minimal use of ornament and efficient use of materials, including plenty of natural light and flexible interiors.
At a dedication ceremony, on 24 Oct 1949 (UN day), the first Secretary-General, Trygve Lie (1896-1968) of Norway, placed the cornerstone of the United Nations complex in the presence of President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) of the United States of America. Construction of the complex was completed in 1952 and a substantially renovated in 2009 to 2013. The land was donated by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874-1960), with a few parcels from the City of New York. The government of the United States of America provided an interest-free loan for construction, and further donations were made by other United Nations Member States.