A worldwide symbol of postwar optimism and resiliency, the 1952 UN Secretariat is a signature work of mid-century Modernism by the trio of Le Corbusier, Oscar Neimeyer and Wallace Harrison.
By the time renovations began in 2008, the Secretariat had severely outdated fixtures, safety features, and a leaky curtain wall. This thoroughgoing renovation replaced elevators, fire safety and mechanical equipment, installed an architecturally sensitive but modernised envelope, and improved floor plate utilisation.