Palais Wilson, United Nations headquarters on Lake Geneva, Switzerland

Palais Wilson is a five-storey, 225-room building on the Quai Wilson, on the right bank of Lake Geneva. Its long red facade with light stone trim is crowned by a grey mansard roof with dormers, while the taller central block in light stone carries a projecting portico of plain columns under a pediment. Rows of tall rectangular windows, some with small dark-railed balconies, run across the wings. It was built from 1873 by architect Jacques-Élysée Goss and opened in 1875 as the Hôtel National.

The building served as the headquarters of the League of Nations from 1920 until 1936, when the organization relocated to the Palais des Nations. It received its name in 1924 to honor President Woodrow Wilson, who established the League of Nations after World War I.

The building houses the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, where international representatives meet to discuss global human rights concerns. Sessions held here bring together delegates from different nations to exchange views on protecting people's rights worldwide.

The Palais Wilson stands on the right bank of Lake Geneva along the Quai Wilson, a short walk from the lakefront promenade. As the seat of the UN Human Rights Office, it is a working building; access is arranged in advance rather than by walking in. The facade and the quai can be seen from the street at any time.

The building opened in 1875 as the Hôtel National, a 225-room hotel designed by architect Jacques-Élysée Goss, and was the last of the grand hotels built on the Geneva waterfront in the 19th century. It was bought by the League of Nations in September 1920 and its rooms were converted into offices.