Turkish House

Turkish House
Türkevi
Map
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeRetail, office, and residential
Location821 United Nations Plaza
New York City, NY
United States
Coordinates40°45′05″N 73°58′06″W / 40.751370°N 73.968380°W / 40.751370; -73.968380
Current tenantsUN Permanent Mission of Turkey
Consulate General of Turkey in New York
Construction startedSeptember 18, 2017
InauguratedSeptember 20, 2021
Cost291 million USD
OwnerRepublic of Turkey
Technical details
Floor count36
Design and construction
Architecture firmPerkins Eastman

The Turkish House (also called Turkevi Center) is a 561-foot-high (171 m), 36-floor skyscraper located at 821 United Nations Plaza (First Avenue) in Turtle Bay, Manhattan, New York City, United States, across from the headquarters of the United Nations.[1] Turkish House serves as the headquarters of multiple Turkish diplomatic missions in New York City, as well as a center of Turkish cultural activity.

Description

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Turkish House, designed by Perkins Eastman, is 35 stories tall and measures 561 feet (171 m) from the ground to the roof.[2][3] The building contains about 220,000 square feet (20,000 m2) of usable space, of which 180,000 square feet (17,000 m2) is used by the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations and the Consulate General of Turkey in New York City; the rest is residential space. The curved facade is an allusion to the crescent on the flag of Turkey, while the top of the skyscraper is shaped like a tulip, the national flower of Turkey.[3]

The first 36 floors contain 102,000 square feet (9,500 m2) of commercial space. The tower has an auditorium and office floors for the UN mission as well as the consulate.[4] Outdoor terraces are located on the 5th, 11th, and 16th floors.[5] The building also has a prayer room, meeting rooms, and exhibition space.[3] Beginning on the 20th floor are apartments, some of which are used by Turkish diplomatic missions.[5] The total residential space is 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2),[3] with each unit averaging about 2,045 feet (623 m). Two duplex apartments are planned. A fitness center, shared terrace space, and a parking garage will be available for residents.

History

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The government of Turkey hired Cresa Partners in 2012 to demolish two existing buildings in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, facing the headquarters of the United Nations, and to construct a new building housing a Turkish consulate on the site.[6] The Turkish government filed plans for the tower with the New York City Department of Buildings in March 2016.[7][5] After Cresa announced in September 2016 that it would no longer work on the Turkish consulate, the Turkish government sued Cresa that November.[6]

Construction commenced in September 2017.[8][3] The building was largely completed by May 2021.[2] New York City building inspectors issued a violation to the building in mid-2021 after a glass panel fell ten stories from the facade,[9][10] and just before the building's official opening, building inspectors reported that there were numerous major problems with key mechanical systems such as sprinklers and fans.[11] Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan formally opened the center on September 20, 2021.[12][13] The structure had cost US$291 million.[14] At the time of the building's completion, it was the most expensive Turkish diplomatic building ever built,[11][10] and Turkish citizens criticized the cost as extravagant.[14][11] In addition, the building's fire-safety system was not complete for 18 months after the building opened.[15]

Multiple windows of the building were broken by Recep Akbıyık on May 22, 2023.[16] The attack on the building was condemned by U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.[17][18] Akbıyık was arrested by the New York Police Department in May.[16]

FBI investigation into Eric Adams's 2021 mayoral campaign

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Main article: Criminal investigations into the Eric Adams administration

In 2023, the FBI and United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York began an investigation into whether New York City mayor Eric Adams had improperly persuaded New York City Fire Department (FDNY) officials to allow occupancy of the building despite problems with safety there.[10] News media reported that Adams had threatened to fire FDNY officials in August 2021 if they did not approve the building's fire-safety system.[11][19] In 2024, Adams was indicted on federal criminal charges, including allegations that Turkish nationals indirectly bribed Adams to assist with issues related to the Turkish House.[20][21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Turkevi Center". The Skyscraper Center. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Young, Michael (May 13, 2021). "Turkevi Center Wraps Up Construction at 821 First Avenue in Turtle Bay, Manhattan". New York YIMBY. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Daily digest: Perkins Eastman's Turkish House opens in Midtown Manhattan, a CLT office building rises in L.A.'s Chinatown, and more". The Architect’s Newspaper. January 6, 2022. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  4. ^ Young, Michael (March 28, 2019). "Turkevi Center at 821 First Avenue Rising Quickly Above Turtle Bay, in Midtown East". New York YIMBY. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Rosenberg, Zoe (March 7, 2016). "First Look at Turkey's 32-Story Midtown East Consulate Building". Curbed NY. Archived from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Maurer, Mark (November 4, 2016). "Turkey sues Cresa for allegedly stopping work on new consulate tower". The Real Deal. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  7. ^ Pilgrim, Lexi (September 28, 2016). "821 United Nations Plaza - Turkevi Center". The Real Deal. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  8. ^ Warerkar, Tanay (September 20, 2017). "Construction on Turkey's glassy new Midtown East consulate is underway". Curbed NY. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  9. ^ "Mayor Eric Adams under investigation for alleged role in Turkish consulate high-rise". The Real Deal. November 12, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Rashbaum, William K.; Rubinstein, Dana; Rothfeld, Michael (November 12, 2023). "FBI Investigates Adams Over Turkish Consulate". The New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d Velsey, Kim (September 26, 2024). "The Turkish Consulate at the Center of the Eric Adams Investigation". Curbed. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  12. ^ Moriyasu, Ken; Tavsan, Sinan (September 21, 2021). "Erdogan opens Turkish skyscraper with Ottoman influence in heart of N.Y." Nikkei Asia. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  13. ^ Gunerigok, Servet (September 20, 2021). "Turkish president cuts ribbon on landmark Turkevi Center in New York". www.aa.com.tr. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Erdoğan inaugurates $291 mln high rise in NYC amid criticism". Turkish Minute. September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  15. ^ Brand, David (September 26, 2024). "Is the Turkish skyscraper at the center of Mayor Adams' indictment safe?". Gothamist. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Police arrest suspect in Turkish House attack in New York". Al Jazeera. May 26, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  17. ^ "US, UN condemn attack on Turkish House in NYC - Türkiye News". Hürriyet Daily News. May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  18. ^ "Turkish House attacker was a Turkish citizen". Türkiye Newspaper (in Turkish). May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  19. ^ Wassef, Mira (September 26, 2024). "Adams forced FDNY to open unsafe Turkish building: feds". PIX11. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  20. ^ Cabral, Sam (September 26, 2024). "Eric Adams, New York City mayor, indicted in federal probe". BBC Home. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  21. ^ Krieg, Gregory; Pazmino, Gloria; Yan, Holly; Morales, Mark; Scannell, Kara (September 27, 2024). "NYC Mayor Eric Adams pleads not guilty to federal corruption charges as New York's governor considers removing him". CNN. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
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