François Vermot

In Geneva, opposite the Lake and Mont Blanc; the European Headquarters of the United Nations.

The Palais des Nations has many nooks and crannies that transport visitors into the past, somewhere in the 1930’s or 1970’s, the periods in which the building was constructed and then extended. This colossal edifice is crammed full of period features, which today have become banal, functional and humdrum.

Remnants of everyday diplomatic activity feel like anachronisms, juxtaposed against the original style of the Palais. Imprints of diplomacy.

The architecture is authoritative and built with clear intentions, intended to be refined and representative of the purpose of the building. However, the decor has had to be accommodated to respond to diplomats’ needs.

By 2023, the building will be entirely renovated for the first time. The space will be redesigned, smoothed out, streamlined. Work is already in progress.