7. There Was Once a Private Apartment for The UN Secretary General
Partial view of the living-room, in the private apartment provided for the Secretary-General of the United nations on the 38th Floor of the Secretariat Building. From January 1, 1953. UN Photo/MB
The Secretariat Building is an all-glass curtain wall building, 39 stories tall, hosting about 5,000 international civil servants working inside on a daily basis in normal operation. It is designed in the International Style, prioritizing transparency and neutrality, with an aesthetic connection to the surrounding environment. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres and his direct staff work on the the 38th floor, the very top of the Secretariat building has an incredible view of New York. Those who work in the United Nations use the shorthand “38th floor” to refer to the topmost leadership of the UN.
In addition to offices and conference rooms on the 38th floor, there was also once a private apartment provided to the UN Secretary-General! Historic photos from the 1950s show a nice-sized living room with large windows that span the width of the room, a modest kitchen and bathroom, and a single bed in the bedroom. It was used by UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary-General, who died on a plane crash en route to a peacekeeping mission to the Congo, and by U Thant.
