The Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) expresses great concern over the undertaking to dismantle, store, and eventually create travelling exhibitions out of portions of the of the Edgar J. Kaufmann Conference Rooms, Lecture Hall, and Elevator Lobby, formerly located at 809 United Nations Plaza, Manhattan. The SAH further understands that these constituent parts have already been removed from their original location on the 12th floor of the building.
Constructed between 1964 and 1965, the rooms were designed by internationally known Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and his wife, designer Elissa Aalto. The rooms represent one of only four surviving properties designed Alvar Aalto, whose signature design tropes are evident. These include his virtuosic sculpting of the double-height space to enable the view out across the UN Plaza and the East River, his skillful use of both natural and artificial light and familiar, sensual material choices such bent wood bas reliefs, and a selection of blue, tubular Arabia tiles, all of which impart a distinctive and unmistakable character to the suite.
"If this project continues as proposed, it will result in an irreparable loss," the SAH Preservation Advocacy committee shared in a statement, linked below. "A constellation of materials — including flooring, partitions, ceiling materials, and lighting — work together to create a rich spatial experience. To excise even one element would destroy this carefully planned harmony."
Cover image credits: Edgar J. Kaufmann Conference Room at the Institute of International Education in New York City - by David Peña ca 2009, via Wikimedia Commons. License: cc-by-sa-2.0.
