By Anne McCullom
On a recent Monday, Werner Schmidt firmly fastened the straps on his helmet and ascended up a wobbly staircase inside the iconic 39-floor United Nations building in midtown Manhattan, which is an empty concrete shell.
“We have done a complete rehab,” Schmidt explained. “We have torn everything out — electric, plumbing- you name it. Just the skeleton was left.”
As a spokesperson of the U.N.’s Capital Master Plan, Schmidt knows how vast the project is. And he comes often to the site.
“The United Nations’ main complex has been opened since 1950-52. It was a breathtakingly modern building at that time but of course, more than 60 years have passed,” said Schmidt.
Things started to break down and the United Nations headquarters desperately needed a remake. The Capital Master Plan, an oversight organ for renovation was approved by the General Assembly in 2006. Member states agreed to pitch in funds for renovation. Since 2009, different units have been cleared out. Old furniture, carpeting and art have been taken out of the Secretariat building into temporary spaces, some onsite but some further away.
“It is difficult to keep the headquarters functional while we are doing the renovation. This is a logistical challenge,” Schmidt said. “ First, we had to slowly phase out the existing building system, like heating and air conditioning and slowly phasing in the new.”
To allow the daily work of diplomats and delegates to continue, a temporary building on the North Lawn was constructed. Its white steel structure sits on top of a slight slope next to the current headquarters.
Although over 400, 000 tourists visit the U.N. every year, according to its website, the public cannot nowadays access many parts, mostly due tightened security measures after the Sept. 11 attacks. Yet, it seems like the visitors keep coming and despite of the renovations, they still can access the main visitors lobby and gift shops.
The U.N. appears more on headlines on international and national news and people want to see with their own eyes this powerful institution where many important political decisions are made.
“Another objective of the Capital Master Plan is to make the U.N. more secure against terrorism,” said Schmidt. “The U.N. has become a target of international terrorism.”
All windows on both sides of the facades were replaced. The new shiny green glass windows, also called “a curtain,” were applied with a film that protects against explosions and splintering glass.
“Now it’s back to the original transparency of the glass, plus more endurance,” Schmidt said with pride.
The Secretary General, H.E. Ban Ki-moon, along with 3,000 staff members had to relocate to the temporarily North Lawn Building as well. It still has good views of the East River. The old offices are expected to open by the end of 2012.
The next phase of the Capital Master Plan is to renovate the General Assembly Hall that currently operates in its old historic place. This huge conference room that accommodates all 193 member states’ delegates will be cleared out and refurbished.
Back in the days – when the U.N. was established, it started to look for a place to build its headquarters. A striving metropolis, New York City, was eager to take in the political think tank.
Much later, when the U.N. looked for expansion, many neighbors did not applaud. They were afraid that the huge semi-closed block would destroy the residential neighborhood. Rumors went that some historical Beaux Arts buildings on 45 Street and a church on 42 Street would be demolished.
Due to resistance these plans were abandoned.
Karin Kaup, a Tudor City resident, said about recent plans on the U.N.’s expansion, “In the fall of 2011 Tudor City residents were once again invited to protest meetings against the new United Nations land deal with New York City to build another U.N. building on the Robert Moses playground South of 42nd Street“
She said that as a diplomat working at the U.N. she is excited about the plan; as a Tudor City resident she is pleased that part of the deal is to have the long awaited waterfront access in this part of Midtown.
“I do feel for those Tudor City residents who would lose their river view. I myself do not have a river view to begin with,” said Kaup.
In the 1950s the first Secretary General, Trygve Lie, came up with an idea on how to fund the much-needed conference rooms. He invited Scandinavian countries to build them.
While the GA Hall and Security Council are the best-known meeting halls, the Trusteeship Council Chamber was the most beautiful room in the building before the renovation.
The Danish government and the Danish Royal Academy of Fine Arts selected Finn Juhl (1912-1989) out of many architects to design the Trusteeship Council Chamber. A young, practically unknown Juhl had only designed his own home. Still he assembled a team with pride and enthusiasm from the very start.
“I think it was a big challenge, a big opportunity for him. He was only 38 at that time, I think,” said H.E. Carsten Staur, Danish Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the U.N.
Those who remember how the “old” Chamber looked like, say that Juhl had a good sense of practical and functional aspects but he also set new standards in furniture design. Classic Danish architects are hard to compete with, even today.
During the restoration of the Trusteeship chamber, in 2011, the Danish Queen came to New York to pay visit to the Secretary-General and announced the winner for the design of the restored Chamber.
A lot of new furniture is needed for the renovated rooms. “A number of worn-out desks and chairs will not come back. But very elegant period furniture from the late forties and fifties will be refurbished and brought back,” said Schmidt.
“Over two hundred new chairs will be made in Japan and shipped here in autumn,” said Ambassador Staur. “Another kind of chair is being developed as a prototype of new advanced material. Some older furniture, donated by Denmark, will go back.”
Schmidt and nearly 1,000 construction workers will probably recycle their hard hats as soon as the renovation of the U.N. is finished in 2014. The metal walls of the North Lawn Building will be recycled and could be used by other builders. ”The lawn and rose garden will be restored to their original looks,” said Schmidt.
The Capital Master Plan efforts have been fruitful by bringing this historical icon into a new life and serving diplomats their arena for future disputes and discussions.
“When the chairs are ready and the Trusteeship Council Chamber reopens, hopefully in 2013, we’ll have a celebration,” said Ambassador Staur.