The United Nations’ iconic headquarters in New York
is a famous example of the international style and the
fi rst monumentof postwar modernism The complex is
dominated by a remarkably thin Secretariat building
whoseproportionsalsoservedasastarting-pointforthe
designoftheLEGOmodel
TheTower’sdeceptivelysimpleformisachievedinLEGO
using fairly complex building techniques such as an
almostseamlesstransitionfromaneightLEGOstudwide
shafttoanine-studwidetopofthebuildingwhicheven
includessomeofthepiecesturnedupsidedown
Incontrasttotherationalrectangularausteretoweristhe
moresculpturalslopingGeneralAssemblyBuildingThe
delicatecurvesofitswestandeastlongconcavefacades
are indicated with off setting which allows for small
incrementsonlyhalfofaLEGOplatedeepThearchitects’
original design is concluded by the low Conference
Building which connects the General Assembly and
SecretariatBuildingsandiscantileveredoverthefreeway
along the river edge The building’s slightly trapezoid
groundplanrequiredasophisticatedLEGOdesignwhich
willhopefullytranslateintoafunbuild
RokŽgalinKobe
The United Nations Headquarters model was created in
close collaboration with the LEGO design team They
lookedatthemodelfromaLEGObuildingpointofview
toensurethattheconstructionprocesswillbesimpleand
logicalandapositiveexperiencefortheuser
AWordfromtheArtist
112
21018_BI_NA.indd 112 26/03/2013 5:45 PM