United Nations Headquarters, New York, New York, USA

The United Nations Headquarters complex in New York, overlooking the East River, has been the official headquarters of the United Nations (UN) since its completion in 1952. The principal organs of the UN have their seats there, including the General Assembly and Security Council. While located in New York City, the complex is technically extraterritorial and is under the sole administration of the UN. United Nations Headquarters is notable for its history, architecture, gardens, outdoor sculptures, and artworks from around the world.

From the UN-commissioned film “A Workshop for Peace”: In the years after World War II, the founders of the UN sought to build a headquarters “as a symbol of hope that a union of nations can come together in one place to make peace.” Their goal was to design a headquarters that would express the vision of a future without war. Wallace K. Harrison (USA) was appointed chief architect with the title of Director of Planning. Assisting him was a Board of Design Consultants: Nikolai G. Bassov (Soviet Union); Gaston Brunfaut (Belgium); Ernest Cormier (Canada); Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier (France); Liang Seu-Cheng (China); Sven Markelius (Sweden); Oscar Niemeyer (Brazil); Sir Howard Robertson (United Kingdom); G. A. Soilleux (Australia); and Julio Vilamajo (Uruguay).