Wender·Vista
United Nations General Assembly along the East River
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileNew York
in Turtle Bay, Manhattan, on the East River

United Nations General Assembly along the East River

— — the long room where the world tries to talk.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“A low domed hall at the foot of the Secretariat slab, set on an eighteen-acre strip of land along the East River that is legally international territory. The General Assembly building was completed in 1952 to a design by an international board led by Wallace Harrison, and the flags of every member state run in a long line out front. Tour groups line up on First Avenue most mornings.

from the studio
United Nations General Assembly along the East River
— bring it home

United Nations General Assembly along the East River, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about United Nations General Assembly along the East River

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The United Nations Headquarters occupies an eighteen-acre site in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, between 42nd and 48th Streets along the East River. The complex was designed by an international board of architects led by Wallace Harrison of the United States, with major contributions from Le Corbusier of France and Oscar Niemeyer of Brazil. The land was purchased in 1946 with an $8.5 million gift from John D. Rockefeller Jr. The General Assembly building, opened in 1952, anchors the north end of the campus.

— the stone

The Secretariat tower rising behind the Assembly is a 39-story slab faced in green-tinted glass curtain wall and white Vermont marble at the north and south ends, one of the earliest International Style skyscrapers in New York. The General Assembly building beside it carries a low concave roof and a domed plenary chamber inside. The compound is legally international territory and flies the flags of all 193 UN member states along the First Avenue frontage.

— the visit

Guided tours of the headquarters run from Monday through Friday and depart from the Visitor Centre on First Avenue at 46th Street. Tours typically last about an hour and pass through the General Assembly Hall, the Security Council Chamber, and the Trusteeship Council Chamber. Tickets are timed and require advance booking on the UN website. Photo ID is required at the security checkpoint. The Assembly is closed to tours during the high-level General Debate each September.

— informed by United Nations — Visit
— where
United States · Turtle Bay, Manhattan, New York
— position
40.7493° N · 73.9680° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
0.3 km W
Tudor City
historic residential complex
0.9 km W
Grand Central Terminal
rail terminal
0.8 km W
Chrysler Building
Art Deco skyscraper
0.05 km E
East River
tidal strait
N
United Nations General Assembly along the East River
Tudor City
Grand Central Terminal
Chrysler Building
East River
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about United Nations General Assembly along the East River — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The main deliberative body of the United Nations, where all 193 member states have equal representation. Its plenary sessions are held in the dome-roofed Assembly building on the UN Headquarters campus in Turtle Bay, Manhattan.

An international board of architects led by Wallace Harrison of the United States, with prominent contributions from Le Corbusier of France and Oscar Niemeyer of Brazil. The complex opened in stages between 1950 and 1952.

Yes. Under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement with the United States, the eighteen-acre site is extraterritorial and administered by the Organization, although surrounding city services and US federal law still apply at the perimeter.

Yes, by guided tour. Tours leave from the Visitor Centre on First Avenue at 46th Street, Monday through Friday. Tickets are timed and must be booked in advance through the United Nations visit pages.

On the east edge of Manhattan, between 42nd and 48th Streets along First Avenue and the East River, in the Turtle Bay neighborhood. Grand Central Terminal lies about a ten-minute walk west.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The General Assembly is a meaningful symbol for anyone whose work or studies touch the UN system. A Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note travels well as a desk piece or office tile.

The green-glass-and-marble palette and modernist line fit Mid-Century Modern, International Style, and quiet Library studies. It also reads well against a neutral linen wall or warm wood paneling.

A single Large fits most sofas and credenzas. For wider walls the 4-tile Mural opens the river view behind the building; the 9-tile Mural carries a full feature wall in a lobby or library.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and built for vertical installations behind a sink, a stove, or a shower wall. The Glossy finish is reserved for framed display pieces only.

A microfibre cloth with plain water handles routine dust and fingerprints. For kitchen splashes use a mild dish soap on the cloth, not directly on the tile, then wipe dry. Avoid abrasive pads on every finish.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to the studio, painted in our stained-glass and alcohol-ink visual language, then slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure. Single studio of origin, no licensed imagery.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.