Apartments, Istanbul

During the last decade, Istanbul's urban growth has been concentrated along the north-south axis of the city. At the northern end of this axis is a conglomeration of various high-rise blocks of a kind usually designated Financial District. However, contrary to what such a name implies, this development is not the result of a well-thought-out urban plan. Wandering around the axis and its surroundings, one sees shiny high rises with boring glass facades alongside small villas originally built for high-income people, but now occupied by legal firms or advertising agencies. Behind the buildings flanking the main axis there is the occasional squatter settlement or a cemetery. Industrial areas and factories squeezed between the headquarters of international firms do not make the area more interesting. At the same time, the variety of functions and typologies makes every architectural assignment for a site here a challenge.

The Levent Loft building sits on a long, narrow site at the southern end of the axis. It is wedged between two pharmaceutical factories with the narrow side facing the main road. It is in fact a recycling project – the main structure was built years ago as an office building, but after a change of ownership it has now been redesigned as a residential building by Tabanlioḡlu (Murat Gursel & Melkan Tabanlioḡlu).

The design is aimed at high-income couples or singles who would rather not to have to leave the city centre for the better-designed houses one finds on the periphery of Istanbul (mostly in the form of gated communities). Thus all the services such potential residents are looking for were packed into this 30,000 m² building: entrance lobby, fitness centre, meeting rooms, cafes, restaurants and other social facilities.

The structure of the building was unalterable and the main design principles were kept as simple as possible in this recycling process. The flats have typical loft plans allowing a flexible and efficient usage of the spaces. In order to create a secluded environment for the residents, flats are flanked on both sides by 'Zen gardens' and balconies. These 'green walls', as the architects call them, insulate them from the noises of the busy street and also provide the required privacy. The variety of apartment modules, along with the diversity of curtains used by residents, give the facades a variegated texture that changes colour day and night.

This interesting project may also be interpreted as a sign of changing requirements among Istanbul's wealthy citizens. Even though the pace of 'gated community' construction has not yet slowed, it is apparent that the city is going to experience a new trend in the near future: that of the returning urbanite.