Turkish House

Skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

Turkish House

Türkevi

General information
Status| Completed
Type| Retail, office, and residential
Location| 821 United Nations Plaza
New York City, NY
United States
Coordinates| 40°45′05″N 73°58′06″W﻿ / ﻿40.751370°N 73.968380°W﻿ / 40.751370; -73.968380
Current tenants| UN Permanent Mission of Turkey
Consulate General of Turkey in New York
Construction started| September 18, 2017
Inaugurated| September 20, 2021
Cost| 291 million USD
Owner| Republic of Turkey
Technical details
Floor count| 36
Design and construction
Architecture firm| Perkins 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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] and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan formally opened the center on September 20, 2021.[9][10]

Multiple windows of the building were broken by Recep Akbıyık on May 22, 2023.[11] The attack on the building was condemned by U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.[12][13] Akbıyık was arrested by the New York Police Department in May.[11]

### FBI investigation into Eric Adams' 2021 mayoral campaign

[edit]

Main article: FBI investigation into Eric Adams' 2021 mayoral campaign

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 pressured New York City Fire Department officials to allow occupancy of the building despite problems with safety there.[14]

## See also

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* Diyanet Center of America

## References

[edit]

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. ^ 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.
10. ^ 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.
11. ^ a b "Police arrest suspect in Turkish House attack in New York". Al Jazeera. May 26, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
12. ^ "US, UN condemn attack on Turkish House in NYC - Türkiye News". Hürriyet Daily News. May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
13. ^ "Turkish House attacker was a Turkish citizen". Türkiye Newspaper (in Turkish). May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
14. ^ Rashbaum, William; Rubinstein, Dana; Rothfeld, Michael (November 12, 2023). "F.B.I. Examining Whether Adams Cleared Red Tape for Turkish Government". The New York Times. Retrieved November 10, 2023.

* v
* t
* e

East Midtown (34th–59th Sts, east of Lexington Ave) and Turtle Bay

Manhattan, New York City

Buildings

| 34th–42nd Sts|

* 146 East 38th Street
* 152 East 38th Street
* 207 East 36th Street
* 325 East 38th Street
* 333 East 38th Street
* Allerton 39th Street House
* Civic Club / Estonian House
* The Copper
* The Corinthian
* Daily News Building
* George S. Bowdoin Stable
* Jonathan W. Allen Stable
* Kips Bay Brewing Company
* Manhattan Place
* Socony–Mobil Building
* Tudor City
* View 34

|

42nd–51st Sts|

* One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza
* One United Nations Plaza
* Two United Nations Plaza
* Three United Nations Plaza
* 50 United Nations Plaza
* 219 East 49th Street
* 525 Lexington Avenue
* 569 Lexington Avenue
* Amster Yard
* Beaux-Arts Apartments
* Beekman Tower
* Edgar J. Kaufmann Conference Center
* Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice
* Lescaze House
* Luxembourg House
* Trump World Tower
* Tudor City
* Turkish House
* Turtle Bay Gardens
* United Nations headquarters
* Dag Hammarskjöld Library
* Conference Building
* General Assembly Building
* Secretariat Building

51st–59th Sts|

* One Sutton Place South
* 23 Beekman Place
* 252 East 57th Street
* 300 East 57th Street
* 303 East 51st Street
* 312 and 314 East 53rd Street
* 599 Lexington Avenue
* 731 Lexington Avenue
* 919 Third Avenue
* Citigroup Center
* Lipstick Building
* Modulightor Building
* River House
* Rockefeller Guest House
* The Sovereign
* Sutton House

Former|

* East Side Airline Terminal
* Kips Bay Generating Station
* Waterside Generating Station

Culture

| Shops, restaurants, nightlife|

* P. J. Clarke's
* Sarge's Deli
* Shun Lee Palace
* Sparks Steak House
* Sushi Amane
* Sushi Yasuda
* Tempura Matsui
* Townhouse Bar

|

Museums/venues|

* The ImaginAsian
* Japan Society
* Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre
* Trygve Lie Gallery

Hotels|

* The Benjamin Royal Sonesta New York
* Lexington Hotel
* Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza
* The Westin New York Grand Central Hotel

Former|

* Belmont Plaza Hotel
* Café Nicholson
* Caesar's Retreat
* Christ Cella
* Cloud Club
* Convivio
* Costello's
* DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Metropolitan New York City
* El Morocco
* The Embers
* Lafayette
* Le Cirque
* Le Club
* Lutèce
* Mischa
* Murray Hill Theatre
* Museum of the Peaceful Arts
* Neary's
* New York Marriott East Side
* Tulsi
* Vong

Other points of interest

| Green spaces|

* Amster Yard
* Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza
* East River Greenway
* Greenacre Park
* MacArthur Playground
* Peter Detmold Park
* Ralph Bunche Park
* Robert Moses Playground
* St. Vartan Park
* Trygve Lie Plaza

|

Education|

* Cathedral High School
* High School of Art and Design
* Lyceum Kennedy International School
* P.S. 135
* Stern College for Women

Religion|

* Church Center for the United Nations
* Church of the Covenant
* Church of the Holy Family
* St. Agnes Church
* St. Boniface Church
* St. Gabriel Church
* St. John the Evangelist Church
* St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral
* Sutton Place Synagogue

Transportation

| Subway stations|

* Grand Central–42nd Street
* Lexington Avenue/51st Street
* Lexington Avenue/59th Street

|

Railroad, ferry|

* Grand Central Madison
* Grand Central Terminal
* East 34th Street Ferry Landing

Streets|

* First Avenue
* Second Avenue
* Third Avenue
* 34th Street
* 42nd
* 47th
* 50th
* 51st
* 52nd
* 53rd
* 54th
* 55th
* 57th
* 59th
* Beekman Place
* Lexington Avenue
* Sutton Place

Related topics

* Murray Hill
* Sniffen Court Historic District

See also: Manhattan Community Board 6

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Turkey–United States relations

Diplomatic posts|

* Embassy of Turkey, Washington D.C.
* Ambassadors of Turkey to the United States
* Ambassadors of the United States to Turkey
* Consulate General of the United States, Istanbul
* Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations
* Turkish House
* Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs

Diplomacy|

* Chester concession
* Second Cairo Conference
* Truman Doctrine
* Zurich Protocols

Incidents|

* Gourgen Yanikian
* Assassination of Orhan Gündüz
* TCG Muavenet (DM 357)
* Hood event
* 2008 United States consulate in Istanbul attack
* 2013 United States embassy bombing in Ankara
* Andrew Brunson
* Clashes at the Turkish Ambassador's Residence in Washington, D.C.
* Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi
* 2023 Turkish drone shootdown
* FBI investigation into Eric Adams' 2021 mayoral campaign
* Turkish Guantanamo Bay detainees
* United States recognition of the Armenian genocide

Military relations|

* CIA activities in Turkey
* Counter-Guerrilla
* Nomad Shadow
* Task Force Viking
* Denizköy VLF transmitter
* Incirlik Air Base
* Izmir Air Station
* Kisecik Radar Station
* Kürecik Radar Station
* Pirinçlik Air Base
* Office of Defense Cooperation Turkey

Related|

* Ottoman Empire–United States relations
* 2010 FIBA World Championship final
* Turkish lobby in the United States
* American Hellenic Institute
* American Turkish Society
* American-Turkish Council
* Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans
* Federation of Turkish American Associations
* Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research
* Turkish American Cultural Alliance
* Turkish Coalition of America
* Turkish Women's League of America
* U.S.-Turkey Business Council
* American Turkish Friendship Association
* Assembly of Turkish American Associations
* Hollings Center
* Robert College
* Christopher Robert
* Billy Hayes
* Midnight Express

Category:Turkey–United States relations
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