destination spaces at the top. Programs are also analyzed for their
potential use to be ‘open’ and ‘closed’. Open programs, accessible
by public without need for an enclosure, are pushed towards the
exterior and incorporated into the vertical landscape.
inner VOLUMe
The prayer room and multipurpose hall are located at the base of
the building. Since the prayer room must orient towards Kaaba,
the base is rotated to align with Mecca. The inner envelope twists
as it moves upward to align with Manhattan grid. Symbolically, the
form of the building bridges Mecca to New York City.
The project won the Best of the Year Design Award in December
2015 from Architects Newspaper.
Official Name: Cordoba House
Location: New York, NY
Client: American Society for Muslim Advancement
Architect: Büro Koray Duman Architects
Structural Engineer: Silman Associates
Budget: $165 million
Construction Start Date: 2020
aBOUT THe FirM
Led by Koray Duman, Büro, established in 2012, is an idea-
driven architectural practice. The studio has a diverse portfolio
in scale and typolog y. Since 2013, Büro has been working on a
series of research-driven design projects in NYC including an
Islamic Cultural Center, Under the BQE—a project that considers
underutilized space underneath elevated transportation
infrastructure, and Urban Canopy—a project that poses
new scaffolding typologies that engage with public space.
tHe neW Center Will Provide
rEcrEATiOn, culinAry, ArT, EducATiOn,
rETAil And OfficE SPAcES wiTH A TOTAl Of
100,000 SquArE fEET.
Further to its research initiatives, the studio has completed
several art galleries in NYC’s Lower East Side, an art and
archival facility for artist Richard Prince in upstate New York in
addition to a studio building and sculpture garden for Prince,
and several store locations for Design Within Reach in addition
to its flagship location on 57th street in Manhattan. The studio
is currently working on a museum addition in New York City.
Büro Koray Duman has been named the Emerging Firm of the Year
in Architizer’s fifth annual A+Awards.
aBOUT
kOray
DUrnan
Koray Duman, AIA, LEED AP is originally from Turkey where
he earned his Bachelor’s of Architecture from Middle Eastern
Technical University. Duman furthered his studies at UCLA’s
Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design with a Master’s
Degree in Architecture. Prior to establishing his own firm, he
was lead architect for several museum and institutional projects
around the USA. He is a professor at Parson’s New School and is a
registered architect in New York State and Turkey.
burokorayduman.com