Turkish House officially opens, design by Perkins Eastman – 220,000 s/f

Manhattan, NY The Turkish House has officially opened to the public. Located across from the United Nations in “Consulate Row” at 821 First Ave., the 171-meter-high/561-foot tall, 35-story glass tower was designed by Perkins Eastman for the Republic of Turkey — Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote the visibility and culture of Turkey on the world stage.

Perkins Eastman provided architecture and interior design services for the 220,000 s/f skyscraper. 180,000 s/f will function as offices for the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations and the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in New York, while the remaining 40,000 s/f serves as residential space. The building includes a consular branch office, exhibition space, auditorium, conference center, and prayer room.

The building’s design is rich with references to Turkey’s history and culture. To ensure the Turkish House, also known as the Turkevi Center, accurately reflected the country in unique and innovative ways, the team consulted with Turkey’s Dizayn Grup.

“The design team was thrilled to work on such a prestigious commission,” said Michael Lew, AIA, Perkins Eastman’s principal-in-charge of the Turkish House. “Given this tremendous opportunity, we wanted to design a contemporary, iconic building with reference to the proud heritage of the Turkish people.”

As such, the building features a curved façade, inspired by the crescent in the Turkish flag, and has a top shaped like a tulip, a distinctive homage to the Turkish national flower. The rounded edges of the building set it apart from the surrounding cityscape of rectilinear skyscrapers, making for a one-of-a-kind addition to the city’s skyline. Prominent loggias along the upper floors of the eastern face of the building provide views of the United Nations, East River, and Long Island City. An ornate pattern is repeated in both the interior and exterior that references the carvings in the Sultanhani Caravanserai. The design of the building has captivated worldwide attention, so much that an official stamp was created with the Turkish House front and center. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an spoke at the opening ceremony on September 20, 2021, praising the new landmark building.

“I wish Allah’s blessings for our new Turkevi Center, whose foundations we laid four years ago and which today we are inaugurating,” president Erdo?an said at the opening. “The design of our house, which uses the latest in architecture and engineering, was done in light of environmental awareness in an era filled with talk about climate change. Thus, with this work, Turkey created a masterpiece that reflects its greatness, legacy, and growing power. Today, we reclaim the Turkevi with its new architecture, inspired by the tulip, which holds an exceptional place in our culture, and is adorned with traditional elements such as Seljuk motifs.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu shared his thoughts as well via Twitter, “Our Turkish House is inaugurated in New York, at the heart of multilateral diplomacy. The Turkish House is the very symbol of our 500-year-old diplomacy legacy. It will welcome all those who are in search of a fairer world.”

Construction began in September 2017. Now, the Turkish House is officially open at 821 First Ave., ready to make its mark in New York City while simultaneously reflecting Turkey’s place in the world.

• Project Design Team: Architecture: Perkins Eastman
  • Studio Director: Carl Ordemann
  • Lead Architect: Jonathan Stark
  • Principal In Charge: Michael Lew
  • Design Principal: Gilles Legorrec
  • Residential Principal: Joseph DesRosier
  • Project Architect / Manager: Richard Rapoport
  • Senior Designer: Ki Seok Oh
  • Job Captain: Barbara Parker
  • Construction Specialist: Jesse Cabrera
  • Interior Design: Tomas Quijano
  • AV Design: Francisco Tsai
  • Specifications: Michael Frazer
  • Zoning: Robert Marino
  • Designers: Maro Mavri, Yucel Guven, Luigi Scarino
• Structural: DeSimone Consulting Engineers
• MEP FP IT: MGEngineering
• Geotech/Civil: Langan Engineering
• Exterior Enclosure: Curtainwall Design Consulting
• Security: Ross & Baruzzini_DVS
• Sustainability: Altanova
• Lighting: Brian Orter Lighting Design
• Food Service: Clevenger Frable LaValle
• Vertical Transportation: Jenkins Huntington
• Cost Estimating: Ellana
• Landscape: RGR Landscape
• Code and Expediting: JAM Consultants
• General Contractor: AECOM Tishman / IC:Ictas, a Joint Venture