One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza

885 2nd Avenue | also 1 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 245 East 47th Street | Turtle Bay | built 1971

Open on the map7 entries

The lot about 1940
About 1940. Via 1940s.nyc
The lot about 1985
About 1985. Via 80s.nyc

The city photographed every building for its tax records around 1940 and again in the 1980s. NYC Municipal Archives.

Written with AI from the source each entry cites, then fact-checked.

  1. 1963

    Andy Warhol runs his Factory from a building on this site

    Andy Warhol's Factory stands on the site, on East 47th Street, from 1963 to 1967, years before One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza replaces the earlier buildings there. The current 49-story office tower is completed in 1972.

    Source: Wikipedia

  2. 1964

    Billy Name covers Warhol's loft at 231 East 47th Street in silver

    Early in 1964, Billy Linich, soon known as Billy Name, wires the fifth-floor loft where Warhol has set up his studio and covers the interior, even the elevator, in silver. The idea came from a haircutting party at Linich's own apartment, which was decorated with tin foil and silver paint. He lives in the loft's rear corner for four years, and the space becomes the Silver Factory. The site is now the entrance to One Dag's parking garage.

    Source: Wikipedia

  3. 1968

    February

    Warhol moves the Factory out of the East 47th Street building slated for demolition, and the red couch is stolen

    Warhol starts looking for a new Factory in 1967 because the building at 231 East 47th Street, which stood on the lot of today's One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, is scheduled for demolition. In February 1968 he relocates to the Decker Building at 33 Union Square West. During the move the famous red couch, found on the sidewalk by Billy Name and seen in the films Blow Job and Couch, is stolen after being left unattended on the sidewalk for a short time.

    “During the move in 1968, the couch was stolen while left unattended on the sidewalk for a short time.”

    Source: Wikipedia

  4. 1972

    The 49-story tower named for Dag Hammarskjöld is completed

    Developer Lawrence Ruben completes the 49-story, 628-foot tower at 885 Second Avenue in 1972, to a design by Emery Roth and named for former UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld. Permanent missions to the United Nations from Denmark, Turkey, Canada, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and several other countries are located there, along with consulates for Norway and Belgium.

    Source: Wikipedia

  5. 1976

    The Katz Agency and other new tenants sign leases at One Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, now about 85 percent rented

    The Katz Agency, a sales representative for broadcasters, leases 59,285 square feet spread over four and a half floors, moving from 245 Park Avenue; the 50-story tower is now about 85 percent rented. Hay Associates takes 13,000 square feet on the 15th floor and a delegation of the European Communities Commission takes 9,117 square feet on the 20th. The president of the building's managing firm says more than half the space is held by communications concerns, including Dell Publications and Knight-Ridder.

    Source: The New York Times

  6. 2019

    Rockpoint Group buys One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza from the Ruben Companies for about $600 million

    Rockpoint Group closes on the 815,000-square-foot tower between East 47th and 48th Streets, bought from the Ruben Companies for a price industry sources put near $600 million. Designed by Emery Roth and developed by Lawrence Ruben, several countries keep permanent missions to the United Nations in the building. Rockpoint's buyer financing was reported at $430 million from Wells Fargo and Brookfield.

    Source: globest.com

  7. 2026

    June

    David Werner buys the tower from Rockpoint for $270 million, about half the 2019 price

    In June 2026 investor David Werner closes on the 870,000-square-foot tower with a $250 million JPMorgan loan, paying $270 million to Rockpoint Group, about half what Rockpoint paid in 2019. The building is nearly 30 percent vacant. Werner plans to put another $60 million into upgrades and leasing, bringing the total capitalization above $330 million.

    Source: therealdeal.com

Further reading

Nearby

All 32 buildings with stories in Turtle Bay