UN: Niemeyer design work at UN is legacy to world

(AP) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer's work in designing the United Nations headquarters complex in New York stands as his legacy to the world.

The U.N. chief called Niemeyer, who died Wednesday at 104, a towering figure who was outstanding not just because of his stamina and talent but because he imbued his work with a powerful sense of humanism and global engagement.

Niemeyer was one of a group of internationally renowned architects, including France's Le Corbusier, who designed the iconic 39-story U.N. complex overlooking the East River which is undergoing renovation.

As U.N. staff start to move back, the secretary-general said, we marvel anew at his vision in creating a beautiful and inspiring home from which to carry out our work of service for all humankind.