We have designed a project entitled “Silhouette Istanbul” as an invitee of the competition launched in July 2007 for Zorlu Centre. Based on the project brief given us by Zorlu Real Estate, we intended to create an iconic design to be remembered for at least 50 years. The project explored how to interrelate with the skyline of the city, inspired by the topography of Bosphorus. The building was designed considering the perspectives both from the hill that the land locates to the remarkable points of Istanbul skyline and from those points to the land. A building came up which rises out in the skyline with reference to existing high buildings in Büyükdere and Mecidiyeköy axis while integrating with the topography thanks to the part that is descending towards Beşiktaş and Bosphorus. A strip-shaped block that is settling on the periphery of the land and leaving the central field flat breaks from certain points and it forms inner yards which were providing Levent, Ulus, and Kuzguncuk perspectives. Thus, the design was integrated not only with the land topography, also with the urban architecture.
In order to meet the profound 500,000 sqm-programme in the competition brief, we have created semi-open areas by locating the shopping centre to the underground. We have developed a user-oriented programme scheme by locating two hotel and an office functions on the rising part of the building while residences were at the lower floors.
Project Information
| LOCATION | Istanbul, Turkey |
| CLIENT | Zorlu Gayrimenkul |
| PROJECT DATE | 2007 |
| BUILT DATE | Competition Project |
| SITE AREA | 85,303 sqm |
| TOTAL CONSTRUCTION AREA | 503,860 sqm |
