Located on the Place de Fontenoy, in Paris, the main building which houses the Headquarters of UNESCO was inaugurated on 3 November 1958. The Y-shaped design was invented by three architects of different nationalities under the direction of an international committee.
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Nicknamed the ‘three-pointed star’, the entire edifice stands on seventy-two columns of concrete piling. It is world famous, not only because it is the home of a well-known organization but also because of its outstanding architectural qualities. There, you can find the UNESCO Publishing bookshops, which features all sales publications in stock, plus a large philatelic and numismatic collection, not sold online for the time being, and a growing UNESCO-related gifts section.
Three more buildings complete the headquarters site. The second building, known affectionately as the « accordion », holds the egg-shaped hall with a pleated copper ceiling where the plenary sessions of the General Conference are held. The third building is in the form of a cube. Lastly, a fourth construction consists of two office floors hollowed out below street level, around six small sunken courtyards. The buildings, which contain many remarkable works of art, are open to the public.
In the early years of its existence, UNESCO was installed in the "Majestic", a large disused hotel near the Champs-Elysées, in central Paris. The staff was obliged to work from the rooms formerly reserved for guests and to keep their files in the bathtubs.
As soon as the architectural plans for the site at the Place de Fontenoy had been approved, UNESCO commissioned a number of great artists to create works to adorn the future premises. In some cases, the works are also intended to evoke the peace that the institution has sought to establish and preserve throughout the world. Over the years, other works were acquired. Some were donated to the Organization by various Member States. Picasso, Bazaine, Miro, Tapiès, Le Corbusier and many other artists, both famous and unknown, all have their place in this universal museum that echoes the diversity of artistic creation throughout the world.
Architects: UNESCO house is their handiwork
Photo: From left to right, Messrs. Eero Saarinen (U.S.A.) Pier Luigi Nervi (Italy) Ernesto Rogers (Italy) Walter Gropius (U.S.A.) Le Corbusier (France). Standing, Bernard Zehrfuss (France), Marcel Breuer (U.S.A.) and Sven Markelius (Sweden). © UNESCO
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