1251 Avenue of the Americas Building vs United Nations Secretariat Building

Comparing the 1251 Avenue of the Americas Building and the United Nations Secretariat Building is interesting because they both rise in New York, NY, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Harrison, Abramovitz & Harris and Wallace Harrison, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished over two decades apart.

This contrast within the same city allows us to see how different creative minds interpreted the evolving needs of New York across time.

Let's take a closer look!

The 1251 Avenue of the Americas Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 751ft (229m) with 54 floors above ground, while the United Nations Secretariat Building reaches 505ft (154m) with 39 floors above ground.

Of course, each project may have faced different briefs or regulatory constraints, which we don't really know about and could also explain the outcome.

Both the 1251 Avenue of the Americas Building and the United Nations Secretariat Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

The 1251 Avenue of the Americas Building was designed at a moment when the International Style style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the United Nations Secretariat Building style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the United Nations Secretariat Building was built when the style still carried greater cultural weight.

The 1251 Avenue of the Americas Building is primarily commercial, while the United Nations Secretariat Building is primarily governmental.

The United Nations Secretariat Building also provides 1500 parking spaces.

The two towers rely on different structural systems, reflecting distinct engineering strategies.

The 1251 Avenue of the Americas Building uses a Trussed Frame structural system, which uses diagonal bracing in addition to beams and columns for stability, while the United Nations Secretariat Building uses a Frame system, that relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight.

Yet, when it comes to their facade, they both employed the same solution, a Curtain Wall facade.

A curtain wall is a non-load-bearing facade hung from the structural frame. It is anchored to floor slabs and transfers only its own weight and wind loads, allowing for sleek, glassy exteriors.