Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The UNESCO House, also known as the UNESCO Palace, is the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris. It consists of two main sites: Fontenoy (7th arrondissement, 7th place de Fontenoy), designed as a three-point star by architects Bernard Zehrfuss (France), Marcel Breuer (United States) and Pier Luigi Nervi (Italy), and Bonvin/Millis (15th arrondissement), acquired gradually between 1967 and 1984. The project, validated by an international committee including Le Corbusier and Eero Saarinen, was inaugurated on 3 November 1958 after work started in 1955.

Prior to its current establishment, the former Majestic Hotel (16th arrondissement, avenue Kléber) was located between 1946 and 1958. The land of 3 hectares, formerly a cavalry barracks and an artillery depot, was ceded by France through an emhyteotic lease of 99 years (symbolic rent of 1,000 francs/year). The headquarters agreement, ratified in 1955, defines the privileges of the organisation on this French soil. The main building, decorated with major works of art (Picasso, Miró, Giacometti), symbolizes international cooperation.

The complex houses a conference centre on the roof in accordion, a meditation space designed by Tadao Ando (1995), and nearly 700 works of art offered or acquired, such as the Roman mosaic Diane Chastersesse (Tunisia) or the History of Thor (Iceland). The Bonvin/Miollis site, partly designed by Jean Prouvé and André de Vilmorin, is under renovation until 2024. A new secure entrance, inaugurated in 2015 by Irina Bokova, has modernised visitor reception.

As early as the 1960s, expansions were needed to accommodate the new Member States, leading to the acquisition of additional works (Bazaine, Noguchi, Tamayo) and the development of patios by Roberto Burle Marx. Building V, known as "Miollis", illustrates this expansion. In 2011, a management plan planned the restructuring of the annex site, highlighting the continued adaptation of the headquarters to the needs of the organization.

The land remains the property of the French State, but its use is governed by international agreements. The symbolic rent and the duration of the lease (99 years) reflect France's commitment to UNESCO. Art works, integrated with architecture, aim to inspire employees and visitors, while spaces such as the Grand Auditorium (Room I) host cultural and diplomatic events, strengthening UNESCO's role in protecting the world heritage.

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