Architects: FTL Design Engineering Studio
Area: 9,000 m²
Year: 2010
Photography: Woodruff/Brown
Project Team: Nicholas Gold Smith, Ashish Soni, Matthew Hilyard, Eric Smith, Joe Schedlbauer, Amedeo Perlas
Collaborators: HLW International, Michael Tegnell, Michael Barrett
Client: United Nation
City: New York
Country: United States
The United Nations Porte Cochere, designed by FTL Design Engineering Studio, serves as a temporary entrance pavilion for delegates at the General Assembly on the United Nations Campus in New York. Completed in 2010, the structure showcases a helical design that integrates seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, offering a functional yet aesthetically pleasing shelter for motorcades and visitors. Emphasizing sustainability, the structure is composed of relocatable components, allowing for minimal environmental impact while enhancing the campus with a forward-looking architectural approach.
Positioned on the north lawn of the United Nations campus, the Porte Cochere also functions as a security screening pavilion, adjacent to the temporary General Assembly building designed by HLW International. As a relocatable structure, it can be moved elsewhere on the campus after renovations are finished, maintaining its utility and adaptability. Photographs and design drawings further illustrate its innovative use of space, materials, and integration within the broader architectural landscape of the United Nations headquarters.
The design aims for lightness both visually and physically, while minimizing material use to reduce environmental impact. FTL’s approach focuses on creating responsive structures that inspire interaction between buildings, nature, and people. Drawing from the surrounding landscape, the canopy integrates with the site’s contours, visually buffering the roadway. Helical arches twist along the length of the roadway, peeling away from the main building.
The renovation of the UN buildings is expected to take five years. Given the interim nature of the buildings, sustainability and environmental considerations were key to the design of the Porte Cochere. Addressing these concerns, FTL introduced the concept of relocating the entire structure, rather than recycling its parts.
The Porte Cochere is designed to be moved to another location on the UN campus or elsewhere. Prefabricated steel trusses allow for quick installation, minimizing the impact on the site. The high-tech textile membrane supports the structure while distributing loads and diffusing sunlight, naturally illuminating the space. Two fabrics are used: a Teflon-coated glass fabric for the main canopy and a silicone-coated glass fabric for added translucency in the arches. The canopy shelters motorcades as they load and unload delegates, and features open facades and linear vents that allow fresh air circulation.
This Porte Cochere provides a striking contrast to the rectilinear architecture on the site. As a temporary structure, it not only serves present needs but also hints at the future possibilities of the United Nations and its global mission.
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Project Location
Address: 767 3rd Ave, Floor 35, New York, NY 10017, United States
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