The interior of the Northern Delegates' Lounge, designed in the early 1950s, has changed significantly since then - and not at all for the better. In particular, the spectacular view of the East River through the panoramic window closed the mezzanine floor, the furnishings were dilapidated, and the single idea of solving the space disappeared.
In 2009, a large-scale reconstruction of the UN building began, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs took over the renovation of the Northern Salon. Rem Koolhaas, furniture designer Hella Jongerius, graphic designer Irma Bohm, artist Gabriel Lester and theorist Louise Schouwenberg took over.
The mezzanine floor has disappeared, the Scandinavian design items that have survived from the 1950s have been restored, but new interior elements have also appeared. Jongerius covered the glazing with a knot and bead curtain made of 30,000 porcelain balls, and covered the floor with a Cradle to Cradle grid carpet made from environmentally friendly materials.
Specifically for the UN, according to its project, Vitra has produced a table "Sphere" with a "casing" in the form of a hemisphere made of plexiglass, which protects a person working at a computer from noise, as well as a "UN Salon Chair".
