Loation, year: Beşiktaş, İstanbul 2008
Client: Bilgili Holding
Architect: Geo-ID, Mahmut Anlar
Scope: Facade and Road Lighting Design
Offering a unique and brand new living space that combines history and contemporary life, Akaretler Row Houses...
A project that is worthy of a European city and will be an “elegant neighborhood” that will be adorned with hotels, cafes, and restaurants, as well as private brands from every sector. Designed in 1875 by Sarkis Balyan, who has his signature in many Ottoman works in the 19th century, especially the Dolmabahçe Palace, the Akaretler Row Houses were built by Sultan Abdulaziz to accommodate the most prominent and high-ranking officials of Dolmabahce Palace.
The dark road, where people are afraid to walk alone at night, has now turned into a stylish & luxurious street. The buildings restored with a new understanding of accommodation, entertainment, shopping, and food in the center of Istanbul have gained an impressive and proud appearance.
Lighting design was developed by combining past values with current criteria and a design and infrastructure understanding that could be long-lasting. The theme is a modern touch to the past. In addition to architectural and aesthetic concerns related to the concept in the design, long-term efficiency, ease of operation, and maintenance have not ignored.
Facades, the first example of mass housing application, look the same but have two different designs structurally. There are residences and offices in historical buildings, which are divided into right and left branches on the Akaretler slope in the first type. In the second, W Hotels' facades, which belong to the Starwood Group of luxury hotels chain, are located in the middle block. On the facades, which designed with warm-colored light sources that indicate Ottoman history and richness, balconies symbolize precious crown & continuous light bands on the roof symbolize integrity and continuity on the street. It reminds itself of the historical Historical Peninsula, Palaces, and other historical values in its immediate vicinity while the phenomenon of integrity and special neighborhood coincides. The components based on the local culture, which also used in the general decoration of the hotel, give small clues about the interior when referring to the lanterns with illuminated exedras. Apart from the visual content of the design, suitable fixtures have been selected and positioned correctly so that no light can enter the interior. Thus, visual comfort prioritized for the user.
Although the illuminated facades, which are a guiding element on their own & define the road and pavement, it was necessary to meet the need for a functional technical lighting system for this main arterial street. It developed with road lighting calculations and criteria and was wanted to prevent light from entering the interiors due to the slope. Therefore, it envisaged using decorative lighting poles of certain heights and strengths. Illuminated door numbers have been designed by Geomim to emphasize the front doors of the buildings.
A texture based on the past, historical richness, a top-class image, modern solutions... Akaretler, one of the most important monumental buildings of the 19th-century Ottoman architecture, is intended to become an international brand and attraction center with the mysterious and energetic atmosphere of Istanbul. The complex, which is a candidate to be among the longest uninterruptedly illuminated historical architectural facades in the world with its 640-meter facade, has already started to give happy moments to those around it.