Turkish House
Description
Turkish House, designed by Perkins Eastman, is 35 stories tall and measures 561 feet (171 m) from the ground to the roof. The building contains about 220,000 square feet (20,000 m) of usable space, of which 180,000 square feet (17,000 m) 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 102,000 square feet (9,500 m) of commercial space. The tower has an auditorium and office floors for the UN mission as well as the consulate. 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 40,000 square feet (3,700 m), 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
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. The Turkish government filed plans for the tower with the New York City Department of Buildings in March 2016. After Cresa announced in September 2016 that it would no longer work on the Turkish consulate, the Turkish government sued Cresa that November.
Construction commenced in September 2017. The building was largely completed by May 2021, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan formally opened the center on September 20, 2021.
Multiple windows of the building were broken by Recep Akbıyık on May 22, 2023. The attack on the building was condemned by U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. Akbıyık was arrested by the New York Police Department in May.
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.