Alvar Aalto’s Kaufmann Conference Center

The Kauffmann Conference Center represents one of Alvar Aalto’s only projects in the United States. Completed in 1964, the 4,500-square-foot space on the 12th floor of 809 United Nations Plaza is considered one of the most important modernist interiors in the country—but lacking landmark recognition, its future was at risk. Office of Tangible Space cooperated with the Alvar Aalto Foundation, the Consulate General of Finland in New York, and the Finnish Cultural Institute to ensure that the legacy of this important space continues for generations to come—even if it could not remain in situ. 

Our studio oversaw extensive documentation of the interior through research, new drawings, 3D scans, and photography. Those details archived, we proceeded with a surgical dismantling of the interior. Through these efforts, the Kauffmann Conference Center begins its next chapter under the stewardship of the Alvar Aalto Foundation, who will exhibit its contents in exhibitions nationwide.