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New York Office of the UN to be renovated
24 November, 2008
The complex project to restore the United Nations Headquarters has been started in New York under the leading of Michael Adlerstein. The project architect Michael Adlerstein previously worked on such historical sites like Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
The major changes will concern the building of the UN Secretariat. In the beginning of the next year all 5 000 people working there will start shifting to the temporary offices in Midtown. The renovation project will take five years and cost two billion dollars.
The old-fashioned design of the building will be changed. Another goal of the renovation is to make the building far more green, reducing its energy consumption by 44 percent.
The renovated building has to be much more secure than previously considering the suicide attacks on some UN offices around the world. The windows will no longer open. An impermeable wall of the latest glass can bend as much as 10 inches in the face of a large explosion.
Some of the gift pieces of art will be even removed during the restoration process. There has been a moratorium on new gifts during the renovation.
Member countries are being assessed a fee that matches the percentage of their annual contribution to the operating budget.
The renovation can only bring so much change. Knowing that members have been haggling over expanding the Security Council beyond its 5 permanent and 10 rotating members, Mr. Adlerstein wondered if he should perhaps create a bigger table with more seats.
The idea was rejected -- architecture will not drive policy, officials said. He added that he was told that the room would just have to be renovated again if the members ever reach an agreement.
For the full article please visit web page of the New York Times
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