When the 17-acre United Nations headquarters opened between 1950 and 1952 along the East River, its sleek, 39-story Secretariat tower and low-slung General Assembly and Conference buildings became instant icons of the International style. Now, more than a half-century later, the complex is getting its first major overhaul. Construction is progressing on a sweeping, $1.87 billion project to upgrade the campus, whose original design team included Wallace Harrison, Le Corbusier, and Oscar Niemeyer.
The grounds consist of five buildings totaling 2.6 million square feet and a 7-acre lawn. When work is complete, the aesthetic differences between the old and new will be slight, as renovation efforts are focused on making the buildings more energy-efficient and modernizing their infrastructure.
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