The Cold War
Symbols
Architects at work examining NATO's future headquarters' plan.
The maquette of the new building is presented to NATO staff.
Work started on 26th December 1955. It was then hoped that the new headquarters would be finished in about two years.
The construction had to meet with a number of conditions due to its location in one of the finest residential quarters of the French capital.
Trucks, for example, had to be washed before taking to the road so as not to leave their signature in mud all along the Parisian boulevards
During the excavation work, it transpired that the new building lied athwart the old city walls of Paris erected between 1840 and 1845.
The foundations of the headquarters were two floors deep and had to be excavated through the actual foundations of the old city walls. To form the basement, 10 397 cubic meters of concrete were poured to form the floor slabs, columns and beams.
France was responsible for the "heavy work" such as masonry, concreting, steel work, glazing, tiling, electric lighting and power, central heating, roofing, etc.
Luxembourg supplied a total of 3500 tons of steel work to form the steel structure.
Belgium provided aluminium windows and different shaped tables.
Marble for the floors was imported from Italy.
The United States received no direct order for supplies but acted as sub-contractors for heating panels and air-conditioning machinery.
The Netherlands was in charge of all the electronic equipment in the building, i.e. simultaneous interpretation material, radio, television...
Germany completed the telephone installations and tip-up chairs.
Turkey made a gift of a large mosaic for the restaurant, designed by the artist Bedri Rahmi Eyuboglu.
Denmark supplied chairs in laminated teak.
In the shape of a gigantic "A" for Alliance, NATO's new Headquarters housed 1000 offices and 13 conference rooms, four radio, and two TV studios, two bars, a large and a small restaurant and a cafeteria. The building was approximately 24 metres high and each wing was 85 metres long.
The six-story building was constructed over an underground garage providing parking for 500 cars and 100 scooters.
In a basement accessible to the public, there was a bank, a post-office, a newspaper shop, a fully equipped cinema and a large room for press conferences and an assembly room. Bank le Crédit Lyonnais.
Newspaper shop
On the wall above the Council rooms appeared the NATO motto: Animus in Consulendo liber or "In discussion a free mind".
The principal restaurant was located on the top floor with large bay windows looking out onto the Bois de Boulogne and the cafeteria opened upon a roof garden. Maquette of the restaurant
At Porte Dauphine, NATO's television studios were among the most modern in Europe.
Icing on the cake: anyone who fancied a mid-day stroll in country-like surroundings could have a walk in the Bois de Boulogne or relax in the Jardins du Luxembourg.
Opening of the new headquarters in the presence of French officials on 15 December 1959.
NATO Secretary general, Paul-Henri Spaak, during its first press conference in Porte Dauphine headquarters.
Principal Council room at the opening ceremony.