World Heritage Centre
maison de l'UNESCO · École-Militaire
building complex at number 7, Place de Fontenoy in Paris, France; seat of the UNESCO headquarters
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1World Heritage Centre
Welcome to the Place de Fontenoy in the seventh arrondissement of Paris. Standing before you is the UNESCO Headquarters, the beating heart of the World Heritage Centre. …
Listen in the app2The Y-Shaped Secretariat and Modernist Idealism
Take a moment to observe the main Secretariat building. Its most striking feature is its three-pointed star, or 'Y-shaped' design. …
Listen in the app3The Piazza and the Calder Mobile
We now move into the open piazza facing the main entrance. Here, the strict, geometric rigidity of the architecture is masterfully contrasted by the kinetic energy of Alexander Calder's monumental mobile, titled 'Spirale'. …
Listen in the app4The Foyer and Picasso's Icarus
Stepping inside the main foyer, your eyes are immediately drawn to an immense mural dominating the space. This is Pablo Picasso's 'The Fall of Icarus'. …
Listen in the app5The Noguchi Japanese Garden
Descending to the lower level, we enter an entirely different world: the Japanese Garden of Peace, designed by the brilliant Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi. This is considered one of the finest Japanese gardens outside…
Listen in the app6The Tadao Ando Meditation Space
Adjacent to the Noguchi garden stands a much later addition to the complex, completed in 1995 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of UNESCO's constitution. This is the Meditation Space, designed by the renowned Japanese minimalist…
Listen in the app7The Conference Building's Architectural Feat
We now turn our attention to the Conference Building, often affectionately referred to as the 'Accordion'. This structure is the engineering masterpiece of Pier Luigi Nervi. …
Listen in the app8Preserving the World's Memory
As we conclude our tour of the World Heritage Centre, take a final look at the synthesis of art and architecture surrounding you. This complex is much more than a collection of office buildings; it is a physical manifesto of…
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What is World Heritage Centre?
World Heritage Centre is a place in École-Militaire with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | École-Militaire |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 48.8494, 2.3061 |
| Last updated |