Istanbul, Turkey
The studio’s first residential block in Istanbul offering a contextual response to each side of the building and represents a new interpretation of the traditional Istanbul city block
Project Details
Collective Team
Our initial commission from the Extensa Group was to define a master plan and urban design appraisal of the Bomonti district, in central Istanbul.
The objectives of this master plan were to validate the local municipality zoning constraints, determine the appropriate mix and quantum of development and identify opportunities where value could be enhanced by improved public realm design.
We explored how this area of Bomonti could be improved by coordinating the building footprints, public realm design and land uses, thereby enhancing the value of the building plots. The study set a clear context vision for the plots owned by the Extensa Group, and identified the importance of regeneration of the central organic market and car park building as a civic focus for the area.
The eight storey building has a mix of studio, 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments and has a number of retail units at street level, accommodating cafes and specialist food shops adjacent to the organic market.
The east elevation adopts a ‘formal’ response to the surrounding streets, stacking the apartments with a vertical emphasis to form bays which approximate townhouses. The west elevation faces an organic market and a more ‘informal’ effect was achieved by grouping the windows horizontally and including 100 sliding timber louvres to help reduce solar gain.
Randomised balconies also respond to the lively spirit of the marketplace they face.
Two new residential buildings designed by Aukett Swanke have now been completed on the site – the Bomonti Apartments, which was nominated for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and the Bomonti Modern Palas, winner of the 2016 Best Architectural Design in the ‘Completed Buildings Category’ in Istanbul’s Sign of the City Awards.
Extensa Group were progressive in their development approach and thinking - equally the design strategy created by Aukett Swanke responded by creating designs that will provide a delightful and enjoyable place where people want to live
