Palais des Nations
Encyclopedia
The Palais des Nations in Geneva
, Switzerland
, was built between 1929 and 1936 to serve as the headquarters of the League of Nations
. It has served as the home of the United Nations Office at Geneva
since 1946 when the Secretary General of the UN signed a Headquarters Agreement with the Swiss authorities, although Switzerland did not become a member of the UN until 2002.
A jury of architects was selected to choose a final design from among 377 entries but was unable to decide on a winner. Ultimately, the five architects behind the leading entries were chosen to collaborate on a final design: Carlo Broggi of Italy
, Julien Flegenheimer of Switzerland, Camille Lefèvre and Henri-Paul Nénot of France
, and József Vágó of Hungary
. Donations from League members were used in the interior.
After its transfer to the United Nations, two extensions were added to the building. In the early 1950s, three floors were added to the "K" building, and the "D" building was constructed to house temporarily the World Health Organization
. The "E" building (or "New" Building) was completed in 1973 as a conference facility. With the additions, the complex is 600 metres long, with 34 conference rooms and 2,800 offices.
.
Beneath the Palais des Nations's foundation stone is a time capsule
containing a document listing the names of the League of Nations member states, a copy of the Covenant of the League, and specimen coins of all the countries represented at the league's Tenth Assembly. A medal showing the Palais des Nations with the Jura Mountains in the background was struck in silvered bronze.
The building overlooks Lake Geneva
and has a clear view of the French Alps
.
The Palais and its buildings constitute the second-largest building complex in Europe after Versailles
.
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, was built between 1929 and 1936 to serve as the headquarters of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. It has served as the home of the United Nations Office at Geneva
United Nations Office at Geneva
The United Nations Office at Geneva is the second-largest of the four major office sites of the United Nations...
since 1946 when the Secretary General of the UN signed a Headquarters Agreement with the Swiss authorities, although Switzerland did not become a member of the UN until 2002.
History
An architectural competition held in the 1920s to choose a design for the complex described the project as follows:The Palais, whose construction is the object of the competition, is intended to house all the organs of the League of Nations in Geneva. It should be designed in such a way as to allow these organs to work, to preside and to hold discussions, independently and easily in the calm atmosphere which should prevail when dealing with problems of an international dimension.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Julien Flegenheimer of Switzerland, Camille Lefèvre and Henri-Paul Nénot of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and József Vágó of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Donations from League members were used in the interior.
After its transfer to the United Nations, two extensions were added to the building. In the early 1950s, three floors were added to the "K" building, and the "D" building was constructed to house temporarily the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
. The "E" building (or "New" Building) was completed in 1973 as a conference facility. With the additions, the complex is 600 metres long, with 34 conference rooms and 2,800 offices.
Description
The Palais is in Ariana Park, which was bequeathed to the City of Geneva in 1890 by Gustave de Revilliod de la Rive, with three conditions: that the park always remain accessible to the public, that he be buried in the park, and that peacocks roam freely on its grounds, which they do to this day. The park also contains a 1668 chaletChalet
A chalet , also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, native to the Alpine region, made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof with wide, well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house.-Definition and origin:...
.
Beneath the Palais des Nations's foundation stone is a time capsule
Time capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
containing a document listing the names of the League of Nations member states, a copy of the Covenant of the League, and specimen coins of all the countries represented at the league's Tenth Assembly. A medal showing the Palais des Nations with the Jura Mountains in the background was struck in silvered bronze.
The building overlooks Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva or Lake Léman is a lake in Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. 59.53 % of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland , and 40.47 % under France...
and has a clear view of the French Alps
French Alps
The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions....
.
The Palais and its buildings constitute the second-largest building complex in Europe after Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
.