The Minister of Latin American Affairs gave the Mayor a guided tour of one of the oldest international headquarters in the world: the OAS. Founded in 1889, this is the grandfather of all international bodies. It predated the League of Nations, The United Nations, Nor. Atlantic Treaty Org., SE Asian Treaty Org, and ANZAC.
Housed in a Greek Classical building on Constitution Ave, it faces 22nd St instead of the greensward of the capitol Mall. The interior has many classical components including a central courtyard(covered in glass canopy), a loggia on the second floor that overlooks the courtyard and its garden of hemispheric native plants. The tiled floor includes motifs from various cultures in the Americas.
We toured the grand assembly hall with its flags representing each member state. Outside, in the loggia is the hall of heroes with busts of individuals who were founding members of each state. George Washington resides here. The legislative committee was in session in the central meeting chamber during our visit, hence, off limits to the tour. A grand staircase descends from the loggia back to the main floor.
In the rear of the structure is the formal garden that front the Director general's Residence, now unoccupied. A sculpture garden surrounds the residence with modern steel assemblies, often shadowed by overgrowth and obscure locations.
It's quite a building, fitting for its location, but only a small fraction of the space needed to manage such an organization. The OAS has employees in Wash,DC in 8 other locations!
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