Dawn at UN Headquarters

Standing on the eastern shore of Manhattan Island, on the banks of New York City’s East River, the 18-acre United Nations Headquarters remains both a symbol of peace and a beacon of hope.

• Categories: News & Features / Features / Stories from the UN Archive
• Video Length: 00:01:18
• Production Date: 28 December 2023
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS; SECRETARIAT
• Subject Topical: ARCHITECTURE; UN HEADQUARTERS; HISTORY; AUDIOVISUAL ARCHIVES
• MAMS Id: 3162280
• Parent Id: 3162280
• Alternate Title: UNV_3162280

Description

Standing on the eastern shore of Manhattan Island, on the banks of New York City’s East River, the 18-acre United Nations Headquarters remains both a symbol of peace and a beacon of hope. 

The Headquarters consist of four main buildings: the General Assembly building, the Conference Building, the 39-floor Secretariat building, and the Dag Hammarskjold Library. 

Architect Niemeyer's slender Secretariat Building has become the iconic symbol of the United Nations; the slender office tower's green glass and Vermont Marble shimmer in the sunlight and the water of the East River that while even though permanent in structure appears as an ever-changing entity that is constantly adapting to the atmospheric conditions and the surrounding context. Its modern aesthetic was an intentional decision by Niemeyer and the rest of the collaborating architects as a way in which to symbolize change that embodies a sense of "newness" that sheds light on the optimistic future of the world's nations working together as one collective body. 

Utilizing material from the UN Audiovisual Library, this production showcases imagery shot over several decades.