Turkish House Explained

Turkish House
Native Name:Türkevi
Native Name Lang:tr
Location:821 United Nations Plaza
New York City, NY
United States
Mapframe-Wikidata:yes
Coordinates:40.7514°N -73.9684°W
Status:completed
Start Date:September 18, 2017
Inauguration Date:September 20, 2021
Owner:Republic of Turkey
Cost:291 million USD
Floor Count:36
Map Dot Label:Turkish House
Relief:yes
Building Type:Retail, office, and residential
Current Tenants:UN Permanent Mission of Turkey
Consulate General of Turkey in New York
Architecture Firm:Perkins Eastman

The Turkish House (also called Turkevi Center) is a 561adj=midNaNadj=mid, 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

Turkish House, designed by Perkins Eastman, is 35 stories tall and measures from the ground to the roof.[2] [3] The building contains about of usable space, of which 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.

The first 36 floors contain 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. The building also has a prayer room, meeting rooms, and exhibition space. Beginning on the 20th floor are apartments, some of which are used by Turkish diplomatic missions. The total residential space is, with each unit averaging about . Two duplex apartments were planned. A fitness center, shared terrace space, and a parking garage are available for residents.

History

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.[5] The Turkish government filed plans for the tower with the New York City Department of Buildings in March 2016.[6] [7] After Cresa announced in September 2016 that it would no longer work on the Turkish consulate, the Turkish government sued Cresa that November.[5]

Construction commenced in September 2017.[8] 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, and Turkish citizens criticized the cost as extravagant. 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

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 alleged problems with safety there. 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.[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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Turkevi Center . February 13, 2021. The Skyscraper Center. January 23, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210123020900/https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/turkevi-center/23986. live.
  2. Web site: Turkevi Center Wraps Up Construction at 821 First Avenue in Turtle Bay, Manhattan . New York YIMBY . Young . Michael . May 13, 2021 . April 22, 2023 . January 30, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230130234950/https://www.newyorkyimby.com/2021/05/turkevi-center-wraps-up-construction-at-821-first-avenue-in-turtle-bay-manhattan.html . live .
  3. Web site: January 6, 2022 . Daily digest: Perkins Eastman’s Turkish House opens in Midtown Manhattan, a CLT office building rises in L.A.’s Chinatown, and more . April 22, 2023 . The Architect’s Newspaper . February 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230203093439/https://www.archpaper.com/2022/01/daily-digest-perkins-eastmans-turkish-house-opens-in-midtown-manhattan-a-clt-office-building-rises-in-l-a-s-chinatown/ . live .
  4. Web site: Young. Michael. March 28, 2019. Turkevi Center at 821 First Avenue Rising Quickly Above Turtle Bay, in Midtown East. February 13, 2021. New York YIMBY. en-US. November 7, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201107232810/https://www.newyorkyimby.com/2019/03/turkevi-center-at-821-first-avenue-rising-quickly-above-turtle-bay-in-midtown-east.html. live.
  5. Web site: Maurer . Mark . Turkey sues Cresa for allegedly stopping work on new consulate tower . The Real Deal . November 4, 2016 . April 22, 2023 . April 22, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230422195456/https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2016/11/04/turkey-sues-cresa-for-allegedly-halting-work-on-new-consulate-tower/ . live .
  6. Web site: Pilgrim . Lexi . 821 United Nations Plaza - Turkevi Center . The Real Deal . September 28, 2016 . April 22, 2023 . April 22, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230422195426/https://buy.tinypass.com/checkout/template/cacheableShow?aid=p7sVIGTDn5&templateId=OTKM7F97TXNP&offerId=fakeOfferId&experienceId=EX4FQIM0EZ0Z&iframeId=offer_97e12a9720251a7aa748-1&displayMode=inline&pianoIdUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fid.tinypass.com%2Fid%2F&widget=template&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftherealdeal.com . live .
  7. Web site: Rosenberg . Zoe . First Look at Turkey’s 32-Story Midtown East Consulate Building . Curbed NY . March 7, 2016 . April 22, 2023 . December 25, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221225153023/http://ny.curbed.com/2016/3/7/11175528/turkevi-center-turkish-consulate-nyc . live .
  8. Web site: Warerkar . Tanay . Construction on Turkey’s glassy new Midtown East consulate is underway . Curbed NY . September 20, 2017 . April 22, 2023 . May 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220519120709/https://ny.curbed.com/2017/9/20/16341152/turkish-consulate-construction-perkins-eastman . live .
  9. Web site: November 12, 2023 . Mayor Eric Adams under investigation for alleged role in Turkish consulate high-rise . September 27, 2024 . The Real Deal.
  10. Web site: Rashbaum . William K. . Rubinstein . Dana . Rothfeld . Michael . November 12, 2023 . FBI Investigates Adams Over Turkish Consulate . September 27, 2024 . The New York Times.
  11. Web site: Velsey . Kim . September 26, 2024 . The Turkish Consulate at the Center of the Eric Adams Investigation . September 27, 2024 . Curbed.
  12. Web site: Erdogan opens Turkish skyscraper with Ottoman influence in heart of N.Y. . Nikkei Asia . Moriyasu . Ken . Tavsan . Sinan . September 21, 2021 . April 22, 2023 . April 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230415221508/https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Erdogan-opens-Turkish-skyscraper-with-Ottoman-influence-in-heart-of-N.Y . live .
  13. Web site: Gunerigok. Servet. September 20, 2021. Turkish president cuts ribbon on landmark Turkevi Center in New York. September 21, 2021. www.aa.com.tr. March 14, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220314000457/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/turkish-president-cuts-ribbon-on-landmark-turkevi-center-in-new-york/2369899. live.
  14. Web site: September 21, 2021 . Erdoğan inaugurates $291 mln high rise in NYC amid criticism . September 27, 2024 . Turkish Minute.
  15. Web site: Brand . David . September 26, 2024 . Is the Turkish skyscraper at the center of Mayor Adams' indictment safe? . September 27, 2024 . Gothamist.
  16. News: Police arrest suspect in Turkish House attack in New York . 18 November 2023 . Al Jazeera . 26 May 2023 . en.
  17. Web site: 2023-05-23 . US, UN condemn attack on Turkish House in NYC - Türkiye News . 2023-05-24 . Hürriyet Daily News . en.
  18. Web site: 2023-05-26 . Turkish House attacker was a Turkish citizen . 2023-05-26 . Türkiye Newspaper . tr.
  19. Web site: Wassef . Mira . September 26, 2024 . Adams forced FDNY to open unsafe Turkish building: feds . September 27, 2024 . PIX11.
  20. Web site: Cabral . Sam . September 26, 2024 . Eric Adams, New York City mayor, indicted in federal probe . September 26, 2024 . BBC Home.
  21. Web site: Krieg . Gregory . Pazmino . Gloria . Yan . Holly . Morales . Mark . Scannell . Kara . NYC Mayor Eric Adams pleads not guilty to federal corruption charges as New York’s governor considers removing him . CNN . September 27, 2024 . September 27, 2024.

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