Thierry Dreyfus lights up Istanbul's 'fairy-haunted' Perili Köşk mansion
As the economic behemoth that is Turkey sprints into the future (see W* 176 celebrating the CIVETS countries), reminders of the past remain few and far between. Perili Köşk – otherwise known as the fairy-haunted mansion – is a spectacular exception, teetering on the western bank of the Bosphorus in the heart of Istanbul.
The century-old manor, home to the Borusan Contemporary Art Museum, remained unfinished for decades, until a recent renovation brought it back into the cultural sphere. A new installation by lighting designer Thierry Dreyfus does even better, setting it alight at night and, as the artist says, 'brings the fairies back into view'.
Dreyfus takes the building's most distinctive features - the cantilevered balconies that hug the corners and curve around the nine-storey spire - and illuminates them from below with cosmic video screens embedded in the undersides. As dusk falls and the muezzins begin the evening call to prayer, the screens come alive with recordings of passing clouds, currents of water, or rays of sun peeking through the trees. It's as if the building were broadcasting scenes from its own memory.
The Borusan originally commissioned the installation as part of the 13th Istanbul Biennial. After lighting up briefly in September, it came to life again this week in honour of the 70th anniversary of the Borusan Foundation, rescuer of the building.
As for the best view? Dreyfus says it's from the Bosphorus – from the hundreds of boats that float past each evening. 'When the sun sets, when the images of the films are melting into the sky,' he muses. Passers-by, however, will also get an eyeful for some time to come, as the installation is set to light up the historical building for the next three years.
INFORMATION
Borusan Contemporary Art Museum
Baltalimanı Hisar Street
Perili Köşk No:5
34470 Sariyer
Istanbul
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Inside Valentino’s glamorous new Sloane Street store, inspired by the art of haute couture
The latest in Valentino’s ‘The New Maison’ store concept opens on London’s Sloane Street this week, offering an enveloping marble and carpet-clad space of ‘intimacy and uniqueness’
By Jack Moss Published
-
Aesop’s Salone del Mobile 2024 installations in Milan are multisensory experiences
Aesop has partnered with Salone del Mobile to launch a series of installations across Milan, tapping into sight, touch, taste, and scent
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Dial into the Boring Phone and more smartphone alternatives
From the deliberately dull new Boring Phone to Honor’s latest hook-up with Porsche, a host of new devices that do the phone thing slightly differently
By Jonathan Bell Published