In New York, a five-year renovation of the UN headquarters has begun

New York - With a symbolic tap of the hammer, the extensive renovation of the United Nations headquarters in New York began today and is expected to last five years. The reconstruction of the UN headquarters, which was designed more than half a century ago by architectural giants such as Brazilian Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier, will cost an estimated 1.9 billion dollars (approximately 31 billion crowns).
    "We want our facility to be safer and more modern, more environmentally friendly and cost-effective," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the ceremonial launch of the renovation. According to him, after the reconstruction, the New York UN headquarters should be as environmentally friendly as possible, so it will feature a system for conserving water and electricity, and harmful asbestos used in the original construction will also be removed.
    The thirty-eight-story UN headquarters is one of the most famous skyscrapers in New York. It was completed 55 years ago based on the design of a team of architects led by American Wallace Harrison. The building stands on a plot that is international territory and is therefore not legally considered U.S. territory - thus, approvals did not fall under the jurisdiction of New York's building authorities.
    The reconstruction will be carried out according to the plans of Michael Adlerstein and is expected to be completed in 2013. Until then, five thousand UN employees have found refuge in temporary offices in the surrounding neighborhoods.