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New York City’s United Nations headquarters was in the news a lot this fall, as the annual U.N. General Assembly took over Midtown East with important meetings, escalator drama and oh-so-much traffic. The building was under high security during the event, making the complex feel off-limits for all the non-delegates among us.
But other than during the annual General Assembly in September, the building is actually accessible for visitors—and it’s absolutely fascinating to see inside. I took a tour recently and was awed by this building dedicated to international peace. Without giving away all the interesting facts from the tour, here are nine secrets of New York City’s U.N. headquarters.
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1. The headquarters is massive
It’s no secret from looking at the Midtown East complex that this place is big, but I had no idea of just how big. The headquarters comprises multiple buildings—the Secretariat building, the General Assembly building, the Conference building and the Library building—on an 18-acre plot of land.
2. Its location in Manhattan wasn’t a given
Today, it seems like a natural fit that this headquarters would be situated in Manhattan, but that wasn’t the case at first. Back in 1946 when the United States was chosen as the building’s host country, there was a lot of debate about where the building would go. Possible locations included Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco and areas north of New York City.
But at the last minute, John D. Rockefeller paid $8.5 million for a site in eastern Manhattan that was home to slaughterhouses, breweries and light industry—and he offered it to the General Assembly. That site, coupled with additional gifts of land from the city, make up the site’s current footprint. Design proposals date back to 1947 with construction running from 1949 through 1950.
3. It’s not exactly the United States
Yes, the building is physically located in New York City, but it’s technically outside of the United States given its extra territorial status. (That said, you don’t specifically need a passport to enter—but you do need a valid government-issued photo ID.) The United Nations has its own police, fire services and post office. No federal, state or local officer or official of the U.S. may enter U.N. Headquarters, except with the consent of and under conditions agreed to by the Secretary-General of the Organization.
But don’t get any ideas about trying to use the U.N. to avoid arrest in the United States. Per the U.N.: “The U.N. is bound by an agreement with the U.S., its host country, to prevent its Headquarters from being used as a refuge for persons attempting to avoid arrest under the Federal, State or local laws of the U.S. People being extradited by the U.S. Government are also denied use of U.N. Headquarters in attempts to avoid arrest.” Fascinating!
4. Flags out front welcome all
Every morning, United Nations staff put up 195 flags representing member states of the United Nations making for a colorful, 500-foot wide curved approach to the headquarters. They’re put up in alphabetical order from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. They represent the 193 member states as well as two observer states. At the end of the day, the flags are taken down for the night.
5. There’s a strong Scandinavian design sense
Most of the building skews midcentury modern in aesthetic, and there’s specifically a strong Scandinavian look in several of the chambers. Why? Three of the most important chambers were a gift from these northern countries.
The Security Council Chamber, designed by Norwegian architect Arnstein Arneberg with a mural by Norwegian artist Per Krohg, was donated by Norway. Denmark, meanwhile, gifted the Trusteeship Council Chamber, which is now used by the General Assembly and committees. It’s known for its colorful designs on the ceiling and the statue Mankind and Hope by Danish sculptor Henrik Starcke. Finally, the Economic and Social Council Chamber was a gift from Sweden designed by Swedish architect Sven Markelius, who left ceiling tiles unfinished to symbolize the work of the United Nations—forever ongoing, never unfinished. The room is also home to a striking orange triangular mural Dialogos by Swedish designer Ann Edholm.
6. The art collection is museum-worthy
In addition to the murals and sculptures in the council chambers, artwork fills the entire complex. Art has been gifted from around the world, from a 1600s sculpture from Benin to a petrified wood piece from Madagascar. Many of the most prominent figures in the art world, such as Marc Chagall, Candido Portinari, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, are represented in the U.N. collection. There’s even an actual segment of the Berlin Wall in the United Nations’ garden.
7. Sputnik hangs out in the lobby
A life-size model of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite launched into space on October 4, 1957, now hangs in the lobby. The original existed for 92 days, completing 1,400 revolutions around the Earth to collect information on the upper layers of the atmosphere and the laws governing the movements of the satellite.
“It has been placed here in the entrance hall, where it hangs as a counterpart to the Foucault Pendulum, reminding us of the enormous evolution in science which has taken place over a little more than 100 years, and which has formed our world today—on the one side, the physical demonstration of the daily rotation of the Earth, and on the other side, the first man-made object circling the globe in outer space,” former U.N. secretary-general Dag Hammarskjöld said upon receiving it.
8. Interpreters have an important job
While French is considered the language of diplomacy, there are six official languages of the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. That means interpreters charged with translating debates of international importance have a crucial role.
A delegate may speak in any official U.N. language, then the speech is interpreted simultaneously into other languages. If a delegate chooses to speak in a non-official language, their delegation must provide an interpretation in an official language, either by voice or written statement.
9. You can step inside important council chambers
Tours, bookable here, are offered regularly. I took the standard guided tour ($26), which offers an overview of the entire complex and a chance to step inside fascinating spaces, including the high-profile security council (unless it’s closed for a meeting).
A variety of specialty tours are available too, including an art tour, an architecture tour, a Black history tour and a children’s tour.