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World Heritage Centre

maison de l'UNESCO · École-Militaire

8 story sections

building complex at number 7, Place de Fontenoy in Paris, France; seat of the UNESCO headquarters

History & cultureBY TELLBY

Contents

8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines
  1. 1World 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. …

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  2. 2The 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. …

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  3. 3The 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'. …

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  4. 4The 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'. …

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  5. 5The 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…

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  6. 6The 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…

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  7. 7The 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. …

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  8. 8Preserving 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.

Key facts
LocationÉcole-Militaire
TypeHeritage
Story sections8
Text languageEnglish
Coordinates48.8494, 2.3061
Last updated

Nearby places

within a 5-minute walk
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