Architects of the United Nations Headquarters
The plaque for Architects of the United Nations Headquarters is dedicated to the international team of architects under the direction of Wallace Harrison (USA). This international committee of architects was called the United Nations Board of Design and was assembled in 1947 to execute the design of the buildings and the 18 acre campus. Architects from the founding nations came to New York to work in a collaborative, peaceful manner, rather than holding a typical architectural competition. Ten architects and numerous consultants started work on the plans for a new world headquarters in January 1947. The ten architects were N. D. Bassov (Soviet Union), Gaston Brunfaut (Belgium), Ernest Cormier (Canada), Charles Le Corbusier (France) Su-Ch’eng Liang (China), Sven Markelius (Sweden), Oscar Niemeyer (Brazil) Howard Robertson (United Kingdom), G. A. Soilleux (Australia), and Julio Vilamajo (Uruguay). The building was finished and occupied by the 缅北禁地in 1952.
The 39-story Secretariat building was the first major International Style building to be constructed in New York. The style has a simple, geometric form, and a glass curtain wall. The building does not have historical references and is meant to symbolize the bright, peaceful future ahead that does not linger in the past. The building’s green glass and Vermont marble shine in the sunlight. The International Style originated in Europe and had social and political implications associated with progressive, reform-oriented architects and patrons. The building site is highly visible and surrounded by open spaces, which makes it the only freestanding skyscraper in New York.
Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar agreed to dedicate a plaque to honor the architects and approved the plaque design in July 1991. The plaque was donated anonymously, however, Sir Brian Urquhart, Mr. George Dudley (right-hand assistant of the Chief architect, Mr. Wallace Harrison), and other collaborators of the architects, provided the plaque. The ceremony for the plaque took place on 17 December 1991, where the Secretary-General made a short statement about the dedication.