Office campus, Istanbul

One of the oldest quarters of Istanbul developed along the Golden Horn waterfront, on the site of what had been the recreational area of the late Ottoman period. At the beginning of the 20th century, when the industrial revolution caught up with Turkey, these waterfront areas were invaded by small and medium-sized industrial plants, storage facilities and shipyards. From that point on, the Golden Horn slowly turned into an industrial zone.

One of these districts, Kagithane, at the tip of the Golden Horn, is currently undergoing radical urban renewal aimed at providing the European side of the city of Istanbul with a much-needed business district. In more recent times, the area around the Kagithane River turned into a low-income neighbourhood as small and medium scale industries slowly abandoned the area.
Despite its proximity to Istanbul’s most important business areas, Kagithane is one of the city's most impoverished residential neighbourhoods.

Office buildings built in or near such residential areas usually ignore local physical and social characteristics: clients want a discrete and dominant structure, while architects tend to behave as if they are operating in a tabula rasa. However, Emre Arolat Architects (EAA) convinced Tekfen Holding to adopt an unconventional approach to its new headquarters in Kagithane. Their Tekfen Headquarters design emphasizes the context and, more importantly, treats the existing building stock as an architectural reference while at the same time satisfying the client's demands.

Several volumes rise from the 8×8 metre grid of the garage floor. The massing, dimensions and facade treatments refer directly to the surrounding urban fabric. The volumes, with an average 400 m² surface area per floor, are designed so that they can be sold or rented out individually but the connecting air bridges mean that they can also be used as a single office complex. Facades designed to make the most of incoming natural light and maximum allowable floor heights ensure that the office spaces are well lit. At ground level, the area between the office blocks is designed to be a public space for the local population and will contain commercial functions.

By successfully merging the client's commercial demands and idealistic architectural ambitions, Kagithane Tekfen Headquarters sets an example for future urban renewal projects in this disadvantaged area.