LEGO Architecture United Nations Headquarters - A Word from the Artist

The United Nations’ iconic headquarters in New York
is a famous example of the international style and the
fi rst monumentof  postwar modernism The complex is
dominated by a remarkably thin Secretariat building
whoseproportionsalsoservedasastarting-pointforthe
designoftheLEGOmodel
TheTower’sdeceptivelysimpleformisachievedinLEGO
using fairly complex building techniques such as an
almostseamlesstransitionfromaneightLEGOstudwide
shafttoanine-studwidetopofthebuildingwhicheven
includessomeofthepiecesturnedupsidedown
Incontrasttotherationalrectangularausteretoweristhe
moresculpturalslopingGeneralAssemblyBuildingThe
delicatecurvesofitswestandeastlongconcavefacades
are indicated with off setting which allows for small
incrementsonlyhalfofaLEGOplatedeepThearchitects’
original design is concluded by the low Conference
Building which connects the General Assembly and
SecretariatBuildingsandiscantileveredoverthefreeway
along the river edge The building’s slightly trapezoid
groundplanrequiredasophisticatedLEGOdesignwhich
willhopefullytranslateintoafunbuild
RokŽgalinKobe
The United Nations Headquarters model was created in
close collaboration with the LEGO design team They
lookedatthemodelfromaLEGObuildingpointofview
toensurethattheconstructionprocesswillbesimpleand
logicalandapositiveexperiencefortheuser
AWordfromtheArtist
112
21018_BI_NA.indd 112 26/03/2013 5:45 PM