A new recording studio on a small island off the coast of mainland Türkiye offers a captivating blend of contemporary architecture, local vernacular and state-of-the-art technology; welcome to Pur, the residential facility aiming to craft an inspiring environment for artists after a perfectly pitched space to settle in and allow their creativity to thrive.

Tour a new residential recording studio in Turkey - Pur

The project, a complex of relatively low, two-storey structures placed in a cluster and facing the sea, was designed by New York and Istanbul-based architecture studio Sour, led by architect Inanc Eray. Looking at music production as 'cultural infrastructure,' the team worked at creating a design that answers to a fundamental question, the architects explain: 'How can a building honour the elemental character of its place – sea, olive trees, wind and birds – while delivering the acoustic precision required for world-class music production?'

The answer came in the shape of Pur's boutique collection of structures, which display the materiality and architectural outlines of its part of the world (the small island of Cunda) – stone, timber and small-scale volumes with an abstracted, pitched-roof top.

In its design, Pur aims to align different worlds – modern technology, a distinct sense of place and the flexible needs of artistic production. The result is a spatial journey and a number of buildings that appear crisp and yet tactile on the outside, but expand into a more fluid, soft space once you step inside.

The architects add: 'A GFRC [Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete] shell expresses this transformation [of stepping inside from the outdoors] in a single gesture: a threshold that carries users from the vernacular calm of Cunda into a highly tuned recording environment, as if passing through a “wormhole” of soundscapes, mirroring how music itself moves across time, cultures, and people.'

The team likens parts of the structure – in particular its ground-floor Musician’s Lounge – as a 'cave' for its cocooning, organic atmosphere and form. The aim is to achieve a 'sense of intimacy and comfort – a true home-away-from-home experience.'

The complex of Pur includes live rooms (the biggest of which accommodates a 75-piece orchestra), a control room, vocal and percussion rooms, reverb chambers, editing and montage suites, a mastering suite and a Dolby Atmos theatre. A restaurant and a series of outdoor spaces where guests can relax and experience life on the island underline the connection of the recording studio to its Mediterranean surroundings.

pur-cunda.com

sour.studio

Maybe there’s some synergy in the latest yacht from Ares being named the Spitfire. After all, the Turkish, family-owned shipyard has been building both military and commercial vessels since 2006, including for the Turkish Navy, but also the navies of Germany and several countries across the Middle East.

More recently, its Ulaq offshoot has become a world leader in the development and building of remote, unmanned and self-guiding, so-called ‘kamikaze’ vessels. These are ‘the future’ of the military at sea, says Ares’ yacht projects director Piraye Orhun, ‘but I can’t talk too much about that’.

Nonetheless, this has helped make Ares one of Turkey’s fastest-growing companies, across any sector. But the Spitfire – with the first of its spec being built and due for completion next year – takes that association further: its agile, fast displacement composite hull form is based on that of the Ares’ 150 Bold military coastal patrol vessel, making it possibly the first crossover of its kind. ‘Certainly, building a superyacht on a military platform is a rare thing and an exciting idea,’ Orhun offers.

The Spitfire comes with a 22-knot top speed and extendable 2,200 nautical mile range. ‘The hull efficiency and other standards required of military vessels can be very tough, as well as the necessary speed and quality benchmarks [of government contracts],’ says Orhun (Ares must hold something of a record in having once delivered a military vessel from scratch in 42 days). ‘In fact, military standards typically far exceed those expected of superyachts. There’s a pedigree there, a proven performance that translates to a superyacht.’

But Ares has taken the idea further – if most superyachts lean into something like a contemporary luxe style, the 50.55m Spitfire, with naval architecture by the British firm Lateral, plays subtly on its association with the famed Second World War fighter, which was based on a record-setting seaplane and built by a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrong, itself a shipbuilder, among other things.

The Spitfire yacht has a core industrial aesthetic, devised by the esteemed British yacht design agency Bannenberg & Rowell. The fighter’s employment of innovative sunken rivets to further streamline its aerodynamics, for example, is echoed, inside and out, in its waterborne namesake’s smooth surfaces, punched metal and metallic sheen; the yacht has a notably low profile; there's extensive use of military grey, together with bands of dark glass.

Eschewing yachting convention – and having some fun – the Spitfire’s rooms come pre-named in military style too: the bridge is ‘the Pilot House’, the main deck salon is ‘the Bunker’, while the dining salon is the ‘D-Fac’ (the military abbreviation for ‘Dining Facility’). The interiors are all built in-house by Ares.

‘The whole idea of [a Spitfire aircraft] is very British,’ laughs Orhun. ‘Is it strange to be inspired by that aircraft? I don't think so. [The aircraft symbolised] a victory in war that was important for all countries. Besides, much of a yacht's appeal now lies in the stories behind it, and the Spitfire [aircraft] has a fantastic story. The general feedback on the design and the story behind [the yacht] have been positive too’.

As well-appointed as most superyachts, the Spitfire even comes with an outdoor cinema: ideal, perhaps, for a screening of The First Of The Few or Reach For The Sky.

AresYachts.com, @AresYachts

Standing with your back to the land on the peninsula of Cennet Koyu, looking out over the Mediterranean, it’s not hard to see why the stretch of the Turkish coast around Bodrum has captured hearts and minds of pleasure seekers for millennia. All the clichés are justified – it is magnificent. The views out to sea on three sides of the Cennet Koyu peninsula were the principal attraction for Bulgari in selecting this site to become the 13th location in their Hotels and Resorts collection. Turning away from the sea momentarily, the peninsula is undergoing a remarkable transformation with Turkish developers AHEN and Milanese ACPV (Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel) Architects. Bulgari Resort & Mansions Bodrum is due to open its myriad doors in 2027.

In July we were treated to the unveiling of the very first completed mansion, in the presence of Silvio Ursini, Executive Vice President for Bulgari Hotel and Resorts, and Patricia Viel of ACPV. The first mansion will be joined by a further 100 residential units in four types, ranging from 850 to 2800 square metres, and three to six-bedrooms, all with private pools, gardens and Mediterranean views. Elsewhere on the peninsula, the Bulgari resort will have 43 rooms and 40 standalone villas. Mansion dwellers will have access to all resort amenities, which will include two beach clubs, several signature dining experiences, wellness and fitness, and an open-air sea-facing 300-seating amphitheatre.

Alongside the interior of the completed mansion, we were introduced to a model of the peninsula (complete with moving speedboats) to be guided through the impressive master-planning of a built intervention at such scale. Care is the operative word here. It’s a jigsaw of clever terracing, with the elevating of gardens and lowering of entrance levels layering of properties, subterranean parking and plant, combined with hefty green roofing and meticulous, locally appropriate landscaping. The result, we are assured, is that residents will feel private, safe and secure in their own paradise. This symbiotic responsibility, to the local environment and its incoming audience, is one that Bulgari takes seriously.

While the 40-degree July heat throbbed outside, the cool interior of the mansion was most welcome. Residents arrive at the rear of each mansion and enter at first floor level, to be greeted by a curtain glass wall of sparkling sea. The soaring double height living area is descended into via a dramatic bronze staircase. Bedrooms and ancillary spaces are sensibly laid out off the main living area to maximise privacy and ease of coming together for big families with various friends and/or staff in residence together.

If it all sounds grand and aloof in description, take it from us, the feeling could not be more comfortable. This is in large part thanks to the masterful use of materials and finished that Viel and her team have deployed. Local brushed travertine, oiled teak, honed marble – each material is used in abundance and finished exquisitely with tactile diligence, rather than shiny brashness. The overall effect makes for an environment that feels comfortable, soft, sensory, embracing – not coldly luxurious in a grandiose, Trumpian way. The level of luxury is implicit and felt by all the senses.

‘We’re not interested in making people feel expensive,’ Viel says, with the unquestioning authority of someone who understands taste, rather than photographs it. ‘We want people to feel comfortable. Our material palette has a grounding quality. That said, my favourite area is in the bathroom of the master suite. There is a small outdoor terrace, where you can lie on a sunbed next to the plants. You are on the first floor, above your garden and the pool, and you look up only at the sky. The feeling is like suspended reality.’

Viel and her team at ACPV has worked with Bulgari for 25 years on the entire portfolio of hotels and resorts, defining how the 150-year old Roman jewellery brand domes to life in the realm of residential and luxury hospitality. ‘It’s no exaggeration when we look back over the last 25 years,’ Viel says, ‘to say that we’ve shifted the dial of what luxury looks and feels like in this sector. When we first worked together, hotels were design hotels. Philippe Starck and Ian Schrager were at the height of their powers. We explored a more informal luxury that could cross different types of architecture, different generations and cultures. We prioritised privacy with social energy, still, and super high quality fundamental aspects like food, acoustics, technology. We wanted to make sure simple things were exquisite. And the possibility of opening windows.’ A breath of fresh air, in every sense.

Down by the wet tickle of the Mediterranean’s edge, Ursini describes the blessing of being able to explore the residential and hospitality sectors through the lens of a brand such as Bulgari: ‘We spotted 25 years ago the desire for people to expand their understanding of luxury brand allegiance beyond products and into experiences,’ he says. ‘We have a strong design legacy and an intimate understanding of our audience: their needs, whims, desires. We are fortunate that the Italian nature of the Bulgari brand materialises into design, service, food, wine and atmosphere beautifully. For us the challenge is to always strive for integrity and authenticity.’

What does that look like in relation to the extraordinary project unfolding on Cennet Koyu behind us? ‘It’s an approach, a mindset and a sensibility,’ Ursini explains with a disarming intensity that suggests his care runs very deep indeed. ‘Every project we do is an enrichment of some sorts: we work closely with the community and culture so here we have beautiful materials, textiles, craftsmanship skills, food. It’s important to us that our projects have local roots. This is authentic. With globalisation has come too much cultural misrepresentation. We want to avoid Italian-ness that feels transplanted, like an ultra-curated version of reality. As a warning, I use the example of the American tourist who visited Venice for the first time and said he preferred the Venice in Las Vegas. We do reality, beautifully. That’s enough.’

As the weather gets warmer, the pull of a European break gets stronger, promising azure archipelagos and sunny cities. Like always, Wallpaper* has the inside scoop on the most distinctive and distinguished stays in Europe. These destinations are practically guaranteed spring sun. They are also spots that, come summer, will be heaving with tourists, so savvy travellers should get in before high season.

If you’re a design lover, look no further than our collection of European hotels to book now.

The best European destinations to visit in spring

Meraki Studios, Crete, Greece

Meraki Studios offers Mediterranean minimalism in the nature-rich valley of Kissos. The six simple studios by Sigurd Larsen Design blend indoor and outdoor living, sitting within a 6,500 sq m garden filled with olive, oak and fig trees, which is also home to a vegetable garden. Each accommodation boasts either a shaded patio or infinity pool; inside, expect functional comfort and well-equipped kitchens. The nearby village of Kissos is a quiet, secluded escape from the crowds of Crete’s major towns, and the local beaches of Ligres and Triopetra are as beautiful as any.

merakistudios.gr

This Time Tomorrow in Florence, Italy

This Time Tomorrow offers experiences in Florence and Marrakech; its Italian travellers stay in the Abitazione building, a modern tribute to Florentine art situated on the city’s northern edge. The fresco-filled building, restored by SpaceStudio and RecDi8 Living, is home to eight curved-ceiling residences filled with baroque portraits and velvet furniture. Enjoy off-menu cuisine and unseen exhibitions while you stay here courtesy of This Time Tomorrow’s resident curators.

This Time Tomorrow in Florence is located at Viale Don Giovanni Minzoni, 3, 50129 Florence, Italy; thistimetomorrow.io

The Verse, Lisbon, Portugal

The Verse offers the chance to experience local living in design-led surroundings. Fifteen residences designed by Studio Astolfi, from a pastel-pink loft with soaring ceilings to an apartment with a private walled garden, are housed in a historic building. They boast marble-clad kitchens, midcentury furnishings and a palette inspired by a Portuguese landscape, and are populated with local handcrafts, metalwork and hand-painted Azulima tiles. As well as five-star hotel amenities, The Verse also offers a home-away-from-home experience with fully-equipped cooking setups, work areas and hosting spaces.

The Verse is located at R. de São Bento 39, 1200-109 Lisbon, Portugal; theverse.com

The Bodrum Edition, Turkey

Get in before the summer crowds on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast with a stay at the Bodrum Edition, a boutique hotel in one of the twin bays of the Bodrum Peninsula. The 110-rooms, suites and villas feature custom furnishings, marble bathrooms, warm wood finishes, light fabrics, and a private plunge pool, balcony or garden. The Bodrum Edition is also home to a spa, Turkish hammam and beach club, all mere moments from the glittering Aegean Sea and a stone’s throw from the medieval Bodrum Castle.

The Bodrum Edition is located at Dirmil, Balyek Cd. No 5A, 48400 Bodrum/Muğla, Turkey; editionhotels.com

La Residencia, a Belmond Hotel, Mallorca, Spain

Nestled in the mountain enclave of Deià, a centuries-old spiritual home of artists and musicians, La Residencia captures the area’s bohemian spirit. The hotel, which recently unveiled the Studio Ashby renovation of its Villa Robert Graves, sits across twin manor houses among olive and citrus groves. La Residencia offers an award-winning spa and art classes for guests, while local exploration can be done on foot via local hiking trails, by Vespa, or even with the hotel’s donkeys transporting your picnic.

La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel, Mallorca is located at Carrer son Canals, 07179 Deià, Balearic Islands, Spain; belmond.com

La Fondation Paris, France

It’s always a good time for Paris, but the city is especially lovely in the spring. Stay at La Fondation, which is cocooned from its 17th arrondissement surroundings inside brutalist volumes by Philippe Chiambaretta Architecte, breaking from the city’s wedding-cake Hausmann aesthetic. Interiors, including 58 rooms, a brasserie and a bistronomic restaurant, are designed by Roman and Williams; La Fondation is also home to rooftop offices, a semi-Olympic pool and a climbing wall.

La Fondation is located at 40 Rue Legendre, 75017 Paris, France; lafondationhotel.com

In a bid to steal a march on the never-ending competition in the aviation world, Turkish Airlines has finally revealed its much-anticipated Crystal Business Class cabins. Due to be retrofitted on its fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft in 2025, the upgrade is a significant improvement from its current offering, and as Arif Ali Gezmisoglu, senior vice president of marketing, says, it is based on detailed passenger feedback on the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 Business Class seats, which are the newest cabins in the airline’s existing fleet.

Unfolding over 42 pods, all with lie-flat beds and their own sliding doors for added privacy, the staggered 1-2-1 layout means each seat has direct aisle access, while every other row in the middle section has a pulldown divider, making it ideal for passengers travelling together.

Turkish Airlines’ new Crystal Business Class cabins

In following the airline’s ‘Flow’ brand identity, which embodies a customer experience that is effortless, seamless and uplifting, the new cabin has been manufactured locally and designed by Turkish Airlines' in-house team, TCI Aircraft Interiors, together with the help of aviation and transport specialist, PriestmanGoode (the design studio also behind Finnair’s Business Class’ AirLounge seat, and Lufthansa’ First Class Suites, both revealed last year).

As a result, the finished product is fresher, with a lighter, warmer colour scheme revealed through natural materials, like leather, that have been locally sourced, a marble-style console table, and rose-gold finishes. Elsewhere, wireless charging, adjustable ambient reading lights, a 22-inch high-definition screen, and noise-reducing headphones, alongside thoughtful functionality – which includes a wider and higher footwell, much-improved foam ergonomic support, and unobstructed window views – all come together to provide a private cocoon from which to retreat from the world.

On the food front, like with Turkish Airlines’ other business class flights, passengers can dine on demand from a menu of authentic Turkish and international dishes prepared and cooked by the airline’s Flying Chefs, who work alongside the cabin crew. ‘We won the World’s Best Business Class Catering at the 2024 Skytrax World Airlines Awards,’ notes Gezmisoglu. ‘Our aim is to deliver the same experience to customers who fly in the Crystal Business Class Cabin.’

Up next, new amenity kits are soon to be revealed, while free fleetwide WiFi will be available across all cabins by the end of 2025.

turkishairlines.com

Overlooking the Aegean Sea, a new relaxing retreat settles into the Bodrum cliffside in Turkey. The cult favourite beach club Scorpios has ventured out of its Greek bolthole on Mykonos – where it was founded in 2015 – and opened a new outpost in the Turkish Riviera, offering a selection of refreshing cocktails, east Mediterranean cuisine, and private accommodation from which to watch the melting sunsets.

Scorpios Bodrum

Staying true to the Scorpios style of chic and sophisticated beach lounging, the Bodrum location offers overnight accommodation, marking a new venture for the brand. Nestled into a cliffside, the 12 bungalows have private pools and secluded decking, perfect for more intimate relaxation and entertaining.

With a cabana-inspired design, the property nods to coastal Mexican architecture, which is fused with the vibrancy of the Mediterranean. A harmonious partnership, the theme is co-created by Istanbul-based architecture studio Geomim, with interiors by Berlin-based Lambs and Lions and StudioMacBride, in collaboration with Annabell Kutucu.

If adding overnight accommodation wasn’t enough to create ultimate beachside living, Scorpios Bodrum opened The Ritual Space. Described as a ‘contemporary temple’, it presents a tailored cultural programme that incorporates traditional and modern wellbeing practices. If you need to cool down from the 36-degree sun, dive into the cold plunge pool; meanwhile, a flotation room, sound healing dome and yoga terrace are a recipe for immersive zen, with treatment menus catering for every guest’s wellbeing needs.

Sticking to the Mediterranean-Mexican theme, the taverna-style food includes smaller plates of fresh seafood, along with plenty of vegan options to share and enjoy at leisure. Those staying in private accommodation can fully immerse themselves in Turkish breakfast culture, drawing out long and leisurely mornings eating in the privacy of their pool.

Of course, Scorpios is known first and foremost for its vibrant nightlife. Spearheaded by a loyal artistic community and its own music label, Scorpios Music, the brand continues to set the perfect downtempo-electric scene against the stunning backdrop of pastel sunsets.

Scorpios Bodrum is located at Gölköy Mahallesi, 312 Soka, 48483 Bodrum/Muğla, Turkey, scorpios.com

The location of this Istanbul mosque, the island of Büyükada, about an hour away via a ride on the city's historic vapur (ferry), is a welcomed detachment from the Turkish metropolis' intense bustle. Once the summer getaway of Istanbul’s well-heeled Greek, Armenian, and Jewish people, and members of the Ottoman court, former lavish residences line the car-free streets in between flowering trees and private gardens. Here, on the island’s northwestern side, an old mosque with great functional inadequacies was replaced with a new design, created by the Istanbul-based architecture practice Degostudio.

Step inside this modern Istanbul mosque

Deviating entirely from the typical mosque style seen all over Istanbul, Degostudio focused on a structure of original aesthetic that aims to harmonise with its surroundings. A 'different' mosque emerged, replacing the old, with a contemporary, structurally competent design, which solved previous functional issues such as a lack of disabled access and natural light and air.

Located on a relatively small parcel of 200 sq m, the project features seemingly fragmented walls – the mosque’s main façade elements. This feature was the result of the parcel layout and the relationship of facing Qibla. To increase the worship space (and capacity), the mosque’s mass was positioned symmetrically, narrowing from two sides towards the mihrab, which can be viewed from every point of prayer within the main space.

Two more elements complete the main mosque mass: a staircase that provides access to the mezzanine and is surrounded by curvilinear walls, and the minaret itself, the building’s only vertical element. Without a dome, often found in the classic mosque design, the minaret of the new Nizam Mosque is the only indicator of its religious symbolism.

Vertical joinery placed between segmented walls not only lightens the structure but also allows for natural light to stream into the interior during the day, following the movement of the sun as it's felt within the space. 

To prevent thermal load within the building, especially on hot summer days, metal sunshades were placed in front of the mihrab joinery. Inspired by traditional patterns, the ornate shadows that fall within the interior at different times of the day act as a form of dynamic decoration.

Overall, decorative elements were kept modest, and include Kufic inscription on the exterior wall. Specially designed hexagonal ceramics on the mosque’s side walls, reminiscent of the traditional Iznik tile designs, and the carvings on the wooden entrance door were influenced by traditional decorations. 

Once again deviating from the typology's norm, the mihrab was treated as a niche, devoid of ornaments, and the pulpit is a simple cantilever staircase. The wood-panelled, suspended ceiling is completed with opening skylights at two points, allowing for hot air to be diffused naturally.

dego.studio

A Michelin-starred restaurant connotes many things: exceptional food, acclaimed chefs, a rarefied atmosphere, elite guests, glamour, and prestige. Arkestra, the Istanbul restaurant from the young Turkish-born, French-trained chef Cenk Debensason and his partner in life and business Debora Ipekel, has all these qualities, but with an added element few such restaurants share: fun.

Arkestra is home to a restaurant, a bar, and a bistro

The restaurant is one of the first in Turkey to receive a Michelin star – an achievement made all the more impressive since it only opened a little over a year ago. In addition to the restaurant, set in a refurbished 1960s residential villa, Debensason and Ipekel opened a buzzy bar upstairs called The Listening Room and, as of last month, a bistro called Ritmo across the hall from the main dining room. All three offer a different dining experience, but together, they suggest that the Arkestra project is poised to set a new, more joyful standard of what a fine dining restaurant can be.

From the outset, Debensason and Ipekel wanted their venue to have a casual but opulent atmosphere to make guests feel the excitement of going somewhere special without the rigidity or seriousness of many fine dining establishments. At Arkestra, guests can choose from a seasonal menu that is heavy on French influence but also draws from Japanese, Italian, Mexican and Thai flavours.

A restaurant’s bread and butter is usually a telling barometer of how the meal will be; if its most standard dish is impressive, chances are the rest of the menu will be as well. That principle is certainly true at Arkestra, where the potato bread is fermented for five days, baked into an airy roll, grilled and served alongside burnt butter, whipped in an ice cream machine and finished with bright green scallion oil. It has the soft, creamy consistency of challah with a malty, slightly smoky taste; unique but not so experimental that it loses its straightforward deliciousness. That balance between innovation and accessibility extends to all of Arkestra’s dishes.

Stand-out examples include the tuna sashimi – the most ordered dish on the menu – which combines delicate tuna slices with sushi rice ice cream and crunchy puffed rice for an intriguing texture combination that heightens the freshness of the tuna and its ginger ponzu vinaigrette. Meanwhile, the katsu sando is a perfect strip of succulent steak sandwiched between two buttery pieces of bread with a sweet and savoury sauce.

Debensason’s freewheeling and expansive approach to Akestra’s menu is echoed in the restaurant’s interiors. Designed by Tayfun Mumcu, an elusive architect who doesn’t have a website or any social media but with a prestigious reputation, the space combines cosy elements like wood-panelled walls and caramel-coloured leather booths with glamorous touches such as retrofuturist crystal chandeliers.

The Listening Room

At the Listening Room, Ipekel applies her former experience as a music programmer for Boiler Room and an NTS Radio host by curating a roster of local and international DJs with sets that range from jazz, disco, hip hop, and more. With a hand-painted mural on the walls and snug leather seats, The Listening Room is an elegant bar for pre-dinner drinks, yet on weekends, as the night wears on, the space transforms into a boisterous dance floor with a packed crowd spilling out onto balconies.

Ritmo

Ritmo has a slightly more tempered atmosphere than the Listening Room and offers a more intimate and relaxed alternative to the dining experience at Arkestra. The menu includes palm-sized oysters filled with champagne sabayon, rich beef tartare enlivened by gochujang sauce and served with crunchy rice crackers, and an unexpectedly delicious combination of caramelised Jerusalem artichokes with white chocolate potato.

Whether you are a dessert person or not, you shouldn’t leave without trying the churros with a decadent chocolate sauce spiced with Japanese togarashi spice. From the cocktail menu, a must-try is the Salted Grapefruit Mule, a dangerously drinkable, Paloma-like concoction blending vodka and orange liqueur with salted grapefruit cordial and spicy ginger.

‘We wanted Ritmo to have an entirely different identity to everything else on offer at Arkestra,’ says Debensason about the new space. ‘Working with Tayfun to create such an original space also influenced the plates we’re serving – we want guests to feel like Ritmo is their second home but that there will always be an element of surprise when they drop by.’

With Arkestra, Debensason and Ipekel have undoubtedly created a one-stop destination for every night out – an exceptional meal in a Michelin-starred restaurant, cocktails with friends, or an evening spent dancing into the early hours.

arkestra.com.tr

Cappadocia, in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, has been continuously inhabited since the Palaeolithic era. For millennia, residents carved their homes into the soft tuff stone – hardened volcanic ash from long-dormant volcanoes – that dips and swells along the arid valley, occasionally erupting into narrow towers known as fairy chimneys. The region exists as a natural sculpture park, with abstracted stone configuration dotting the landscape and remnants of civilisations buried within it.

It was this expressive, enchanting view that inspired Galerie Philia founder Ygaël Attali to base the third instalment of roving design residency Transhumances here (previous iterations touched down in Florence and the south of France). In November 2023, they gallery brought four designers – Andres Monnier, Morghen Studio, Laura Pasquino and Elsa Foulon – to live and work in Cappadocia for a week, ultimately creating new work that will be exhibited at the Taskonaklar hotel, where the residency took place (the exhibition runs from 15 February to 16 March 2024). 

Galerie Philia’s Cappadocia residency

Taskonaklar inhabits a series of caves that spill down the edge of a ravine known as Pigeon Valley, named after the rows of dovecotes carved into the rock that once housed the domesticated birds – and where flocks of wild ones still roost. Peering over the edge of the cliff, the valley unfolds beneath you. Conical fairy chimneys surge from the earth and the cliff face opposite ripples like a pleated skirt. 

Each of the four residents was given carte blanche at the beginning of the residency and eventually found a way to incorporate this surrounding environment into their practice. 

Mexican designer Andres Monnier, for instance, set up a studio inside a local quarry, where he worked with cast-off travertine and grey local stone. He will show two pieces in the exhibition. The first, a cantilevered side table fashioned from a single rough block. The second is a standing candelabra that takes the form of a cluster of stone columns. To realise his pieces Monnier worked alongside the quarry’s artisans, familiarising himself with the materials as well as local craft knowledge.

Meanwhile, a stroll through the valley was enough for Rodolfo Viola from Morghen Studio to find the form of his piece. 'I wanted to create a chandelier because that's what we usually do,' explains the Milan-based designer, who, alongside his studio partner Roberto Tarter is known for elaborate abstracted lighting, usually made from precious materials like brass. 'So I climbed to the bottom of the valley and brought back this tree.' Viola used the spindly form as the body of the hanging light, which is suspended from the roof of Taskonaklar’s cave exhibition space and whose branches terminate with small ceramic petals that soften the bright LED lights.

Estonian ceramic artist Laura Pasquino sourced terracotta clay from a local supplier to create her hand-built, orb-like vessels. 'The red clay comes from the local rivers,' she says. 'We were fortunate to have a good connection with a local pottery master, who makes the clay himself.' However, the natural material came with its own challenges. 'The clay is textured, with lots of little stones. It's very sensitive to the climate. When the sun dries the parts with larger rocks it tends to crack, so we have to move to pieces as the sun shifts. But it’s been an incredible experience to learn how this material works.'

French designer and ceramicist Elsa Foulon also worked with clay. From her room overlooking the valley, she was taken with how the light shifted, bringing out new colours and forms as it fell and rose. 'I was so surprised with how the light changed the landscape every second of the day,' she explains. Her white concave ceramic lamps are finished with gold paint on the interior, creating a warm glow from within, envisioning how light would have appeared when this land was first settled. 'I imagine thousands of years ago,' she says. 'This is how the Palaeolithic light would have looked.'

Transhumances III is on display at the Taskonaklar Hotel in Cappadocia, Turkey from 15 February to 16 March 2024

galerie-philia.com

Bodrum, on the Turkish Riviera, is renowned as the premier summer destination along the signature turquoise-coloured waters of the Aegean side of Turkey. A local newcomer joining the roster of luxury international hospitality brands, Birdcage 33 is a boutique hotel bringing a breath of fresh air to this vibrant area.

Tour Birdcage 33, a hidden gem on the Turkish Riviera

The property wasn't always destined to be a hotel. At first, Deniz Galip Studio had received a design brief to create a summer house for its clients, Tulin and Kiral Karabuk. However, the Karabuks later chose to transform the property into a boutique hotel, realising their retirement dream as they permanently relocated to Bodrum.

In the hills of Yalıkavak, a cluster of six small houses is nestled, thoughtfully arranged across four different levels, all interconnected by a grand concrete staircase. Each house comprises two to three rooms, linked by shared kitchenette areas, resulting in a total of 11 rooms, ranging in size from 30 to 60 sq m.

Embracing local producers and sustainable materials, the hotel's primary design philosophy aimed to incorporate the typical furnishings and surfaces found in Mediterranean homes. With simplicity and elegance in mind, a special type of plaster known as tadelakt, characteristic of Moroccan architecture, took centre stage in the design, resulting in a colour palette of soft and natural hues, including terracotta, mustard, grey, and rose.

This process was highly experimental due to the nature of the material, but the final harmonious results were achieved through numerous on-site applications, all painstakingly done by hand by Asli Tekin Atelier, a Turkish women-led initiative.

While the calming foundational notes enhance the sensation of being in nature, the vibrant colours in the details pay homage to the lively 1960s atmosphere of Bodrum. The ceramic tiles in the rooms were custom-designed and crafted by local producer Gorbon; the cobalt blue coffee tables draw inspiration from the window frames and traditional features of local houses, while the burnt sienna sofas evoke the presence of satsuma trees in the region.

The hotel was built during the pandemic, posing challenges in importing furniture from sources outside of Turkey. However, this situation gave rise to a highly localised process where Deniz Galip Studio designed most of the furniture, which was then skillfully crafted by woodworkers in the region. Additionally, some pieces were sourced from local producers around Bodrum, ultimately redefining the notion of luxury in the area.

While some may view this as a disadvantage, given that most travellers prefer proximity to the water, Birdcage 33, nestled in the hills, provides an ideal retreat for those seeking tranquility and a serene environment away from the bustling seaside areas. The unmistakable focal point of the hotel is its pool area, which draws inspiration from the book Poolside by American photographer Slim Aarons.

'I was captivated by the style of the locations in the photos and the carefree, stylish demeanor of the people within them. They truly embodied an era from the 1960s and 1970s when lounging by the pool was the epitome of luxury. Bodrum held a reputation for hosting artists and intellectuals during that time, and I yearned to revive that carefree, artistic poolside lifestyle within the hotel.' Galip says.

The hotel's restaurant, Lika, located beside the pool, features a glassed space that seamlessly connects the indoor and outdoor areas, offering guests a gastronomic experience that truly captures the essence of the Aegean.

birdcage33.com

The road to the Çanakkale Antenna Tower (Çanakkale Radar Tepesi) ascends through a thick expanse of pine forest, away from the seafront and the busy Çanakkale centre. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe the first sighting of the tower as extraterrestrial, a feeling shared by an encounter with the nearby Museum of Troy by Yalın Architectural Design, a monolithic cube also coated in Corten steel.

Çanakkale Antenna Tower and viewing platform

Designed by the Rotterdam-based offices IND [Inter.National.Design] and Powerhouse Company, the project was the winning proposal of an international competition, which also shortlisted entries from firms such as Sou Fujimoto Architects, Snøhetta, and Fernando Romero Enterprise. The realised project stood out for successfully transforming a previously cluttered and ecologically compromised site into a public oasis.  

Stretching 100m into the sky and constructed from modular elements on-site, the single tower in the project was engineered to withstand winds of up to 160km/h, with steel plates of up to 40mm and internal stiffeners. Ensuring a safe distance to mitigate any radiation risks, the weathered Corten steel tower stands detached from an outer viewing platform loop that embraces an inner garden of wild indigenous vegetation. The reward for strolling along this elevated platform – which evolves from a tall entrance canyon into a wide viewing terrace deck and a viaduct – is a panoramic view of the forested landscape, the city and the strait beyond it. 

Below the viewing terrace, a restaurant with floor-to-ceiling glazing is also open to the public, promising unmatched scenic views. Outside, pathways are marked with small and larger stone blocks that serve as seating. It all adds to an environmentally harmonious landscape design created by the Mexico City-based firms Hugo Sanchez Paisaje and Entorno Taller de Paisaje, and Ancona-based LOOP Design.

With the technical areas cleverly concealed in an underground concrete bunker, the tower’s design was also able to avoid light pollution, using small lights along the tower, developed by the Hamburg-based firm Ulrike Brandi Licht. Further increasing its symmetry with the surrounding landscape, the project rejuvenated eroded land with healthy soil and young forest trees, achieving its aim of environmental sensitivity and consciousness. 

The use of Corten steel as a finishing element further adds texture and underlines the natural aesthetic, crafting an exhibition of the rusting orange and brown hues created by the sun and wind. 

internationaldesign.nl 

powerhouse-company.com 

Bodrum Loft, among the Turkish resort’s increasingly luxurious hotel openings of recent years, has transformed into a sculpture park this summer in a collaboration with gallery Perrotin and Artsa Consultancy and Project. Running until September, the exhibition, ‘French Delights’, includes work from artists such as Takashi Murakami and Daniel Asrham, curated in the grounds of the Tabanlıoğlu Architects-designed hotel, which comprises 36 independent residences set into the hillside facing the meeting point of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas.

‘French Delights’ at Bodrum Loft

‘I am glad of this invitation and happy to show these sculptures in such a sublime context,’ says participating artist Iván Argote. ‘I like the relationship of these works to the sea – it generates a new poetic dialogue – as well as the relationship to the region, a place rich in history and archaeology.’ 

As the worlds of blue-chip art galleries and luxury lifestyles gravitate towards one another, projects such as this bring artworks to collectors in their daily lives. 

Selçan Atilgan, founder of Artsa consultancy, curated the commercial exhibition, which is the agency’s second at the hotel. ‘Bodrum Loft is famous for its architecture that seamlessly integrates with nature,’ she says of the property’s appeal.

She established Artsa after graduating from Sotheby’s Institute and working in the commercial gallery world with a focus on organising exhibitions alongside art fairs. While she has worked on projects around the world, this is the first time she has produced a show in Turkey. 

‘I had always wanted to be able to organise these events in my country, in Turkey. At this point, I met the Akın family, who own Bodrum Loft, and our story of working together began.’

The artworks were placed in situ in an intuitive way, intended to be harmonious with the natural setting of the hotel, meaning they are either in tune with the sea, the greenery or the sky. 

Alongside Arsham and Murakami, artists selected for the show, all of whom are represented by global art power player Perrotin, include Jean-Marie Appriou, Wim Delvoye, Laurent Grasso, Gregor Hildebrandt, Klara Kristalova, Jean-Michel Othoniel and Paola Pivi.

There is a focus on nature in the work of Kristalova and Appriou, while incidental political statement comes from Elmgreen & Dragset – whose Adaptation, Fig. 16 (Black Mirror) reflects on the regulatory role of road signs – and from Iván Argote. 

‘I like to think of these works as fictional archaeologies,’ Argote says of his pieces. ‘They are part of a series named Excerpts, a group of sculptures in steel, concrete, copper, gold, and oil-based painting, that seem to be ruins or remains of pre-existing architecture. On the surface of the sculptures, we find writings, reflections, poems, and quotes that are simultaneously intimate and political statements.’

The ingenious idea of taking art out of the city when collectors leave for the summer is not a new one, with blue-chip gallery outposts in the Hamptons, USA, and Somerset, UK, for example, enjoyed by many and shopped by a lucky few. But as part of hospitality’s focus on luxury living, initiatives such as this are sure to flourish.

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The Istanbul Modern, founded in 2004, returns to its original location on the historic Karaköy waterfront on the European side of the Bosporus, in a striking new contemporary architectural statement in glass, concrete and steel by Italian architect Renzo Piano and his studio. The new museum, designed to house modern and contemporary works of art from 1945 to the present, marks the final stage of Galataport, an ambitious urban renewal project that has seen a strip of the once inaccessible waterfront of warehouses and government buildings transformed into a cultural hub of Turkish and international boutiques, and luxury department stores such as Beymen and Gizia, along with chic restaurants, bars and offices.

Istanbul Modern by Renzo Piano Building Workshop

Piano is no stranger to melding heritage and innovation, and Istanbul Modern sits comfortably between the newly created public waterfront promenade that leads from The Peninsula Istanbul near Galata Bridge on one side, past the museum to shops and restaurants on the other, and to nearby Clock Tower Square. Here, historic landmarks abound, including the Tophane Clock Tower, Fountain and Pavilion, the Mimar Sinan Kılıç Ali Paşa Complex, and Nusretiye Mosque, as well as the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Museum of Painting and Sculpture.

Renzo Piano Building Workshop's sensitive response to the location is an engaging façade, where art and activities – and the Bosporus - are visible from indoors and out. A cavernous basement set aside for car and coach parking, deliveries and all other building services, keeps the surrounding area free from clutter, and the ground floor is wrapped in transparent windows with entrances from both the waterfront and the plaza towards the city. The rest of the building is clad in 3D-formed aluminium panels that evoke a ship, and as any ocean-going traveller knows, the most spectacular views are from the interior.

The studio's expertise lies in crafting spaces for art that function as well as they look. The ground floor of the simple 10,500 sq m geometric building feels especially welcoming. There are sculptures outdoors and inside there is a library, which is open to the public free of charge. There are also education and event spaces, a café, and an unusually large shop with interesting and original items by Turkish artists and designers. The wide central staircase Piano has designed to appear to float is a clever construction of high-performance cast concrete steps with glass balustrades, suspended by steel rods. 

At the time of opening, the staircase features Your Unexpected Journey (2021), a three-part, site-specific installation by Olafur Eliasson, which highlights the sense of being immersed in space. However, architectural enthusiasts should first head to the inaugural exhibition that focuses on the building’s design and construction, with models and a display of exceptional images taken throughout by architectural photographer Cemal Emden. 

In addition to spacious, stylish staff offices furnished with Vitra pieces, the first floor contains several galleries and a dedicated space for pop-ups, and a restaurant with panoramic Bosporus views from an outdoor terrace. One floor above, is a gallery that is dedicated to the museum’s permanent collection of contemporary art from Turkey and beyond.

The museum appears simple, yet is sophisticated, eschewing decoration for finesse in the detailing. There are super-slim columns that provide maximum flexibility for showing art; ultra-clear glass supplied by Saint-Gobain Glass; a sea of photovoltaic panels; and perfectly precise detailing of symmetrical joints and light tracks. Not to mention a special state-of-the-art bracing system to accommodate the highest level of seismic activity, which can be experienced in the region.  

However, the pièce de résistance is the simple and inspired rooftop, where Piano has installed a shallow infinity pond perfectly reflecting the bustling Bosporus and the steep hillside of Beyoğlu. This vista, complete with the iconic Galata Tower built by the Genoese in 1348-49, proves that in Istanbul, heritage and innovation always go best hand-in-hand.

'Since our doors opened in 2004, Istanbul Modern has played a pivotal role in the cultural and artistic life of Istanbul. Showcasing Turkey’s artistic heritage, creativity, and dynamism, the museum quickly became an important cultural destination for people across the city, and from around the world, staging major exhibitions of modern and contemporary art from Turkey and beyond, alongside a vibrant public program. With the momentum provided by this new, world-class building designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, we aim to strengthen Istanbul Modern’s position among the global leading centers of art,' says Oya Eczacıbaşı, Chair of Istanbul Modern. 

rpbw.com 

Whenever photographer Olgaç Bozalp said goodbye after a trip home to visit his family in Konya, Turkey, his aunt and grandmother would slip themselves in front of the window’s lace curtain to watch him leave. 

This poignant image is memorialised in Home, Leaving One For Another, Bozalp’s series that is now both a solo show at 10 14 Gallery and a book published by Void. Bozalp’s cultural identity remains a focal point as he approaches emotive themes of migration and its paradoxes, born from his own journey as a migrant. 

The series initially stemmed from a desire to confront the complex question of why someone leaves one place for another. ‘I started this series because I wanted to understand why one person wants to leave and be somewhere else,’ says the photographer. Bozalp then found himself in such a nomadic situation for four years, constantly travelling or staying with others. 

The resulting Home, Leaving One For Another comprises documentary images interwoven with staged scenes. 

Together, the works create a striking visual narrative in which Bozalp opens up discussions about forced migration, fleeing dangerous communities and opportunities for migrants. The flowing image compositions echo the theme of movement; as viewers, we are left questioning whether these are moments of arrival, departure, relief or regret. 

Particularly powerful are Bozalp’s written memories that bookend the monograph; in a few short sentences, he opens up about his fond childhood moments, unfulfilled expectations and cultural dynamics. As Bozalp explains, the book and exhibition are ‘a culmination of four years of my memories, my observations, my personal experiences and I wanted to share that’.

Olgaç Bozalp, ‘Home, Leaving One for Another’ is on view at 10 14 Gallery, 10-14 Crossway, London, N16 8HX, until 10 March 2023. instagram.com/1014.gallery

Bozalp's monograph Home: Leaving One for Another, is published by Void. 

void.photo

olgacbozalp.com

Since Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim docked on the Spanish shores of Bilbao 22 years ago, cities across the world have tried to emulate its success, attempting to cash in on the ‘Bilbao effect’. For some, this endeavour didn't yield the desired results: Santiago Calatrava’s City of Arts and Sciences and Opera House almost bankrupted Valencia, while it could be argued that the Centre Pompidou-Metz, France designed by Shigeru Ban and Will Alsop’s The Public in West Bromwich, England have fallen well short of regeneration hopes and dreams.

Still, however, those dreams live on. The Scottish city of Dundee commissioned Kengo Kuma Associates (KKAA) for the V&A Dundee and, despite being snubbed for this year’s Stirling Prize, the museum has enjoyed early success, attracting 500,000 since opening a year ago almost to the day. Indeed it was this project and KKAA’s Nezu Museum in Tokyo which persuaded Turkish businessman Erol Tabanca to approach the Japanese practice for a museum of his own, the Odunpazarı Modern Museum (OMM), in his hometown of Eskişehir, a city located between Istanbul and Ankara.

Of the criticisms thrown at those chasing the Bilbao effect is that buildings are alien to their context, keeping the rest of the ‘to-be regenerated’ city at arm’s length. KKAA has avoided this, eschewing a site in a park outside the city in favour of one in the centre nestled in to a quarter of 18th and 19th century Ottoman-style buildings.

The press pictures here show OMM’s 4,500 sq m worth of massing as a series of large boxes, each bound by interlocking timber beams. You could say it mimics giant jenga set. (Eskişehir, home to three universities, is a student city after all). However, approach from the South, navigating the narrow Depboy Street and the museum sneaks up on you, coming into view at the last minute. The result is a delightful birth into a bright, open, public space that cascades down towards the main road, Ataturk Boulevard.

But why so much wood? Odunpazarı translated into English means ‘wood market’ and that’s what the area was until the early 20th century. KKAA took this cue and ran with it, employing Yellow Pine imported from Siberia to form 11 ‘boxes’ which host nine exhibition spaces.

‘We were also inspired by the [surrounding] wooden cantilevered houses from the Ottoman era,' Yuki Ikeguchi, the partner leading the project KKAA, says. ‘We wanted to balance scales by breaking down [spaces] into smaller aggregations and putting them together and stacking the volumes creates a series of terraces.'

More timber can be found inside too: steps will be used as bleachers, a move, which Ikeguchi ‘brings the plaza inside', allowing for what is essentially the museum’s lobby to host public events.

At the centre of the museum is a light-well, which serves as the building’s structural core. Spanning the museum’s three floors, the space hosts films (with a projection screen) and is ensconced by more Yellow Pine which gently rotate around it. From these rotations the museum’s exhibition spaces are splayed.

‘We were fortunate to be allowed to explore the possibility of arranging exhibition spaces', Ikeguchi remarked. ‘We didn't have many specific requirements for how many rooms and how big each should be… Other museums, like at the V&A, had very fixed ideas as to how exhibition spaces should be. With this one we had the opportunity to really truly explore each one of the spaces in different proportions.'

The largest exhibition ‘box’ hosts a site-specific work by Japanese bamboo artist Tanabe Chikuunsai IV — an intricate, eight-by-six metre installation that appears to travel from the wall and into the floor. OMM’s 87 other artworks however, are mostly from young Turkish artists, the works coming from Tabanca’s collection.

Trained as an architect, Tabanca’s aim is to exhibit his collection outside Istanbul in his own city in a space that is as interesting architecturally as the art inside. So far, all is going to plan.

INFORMATION

kkaa.co.jp

Once the last marquee has been taken down, it’s sometimes difficult to work out just what to do with a historic theatre building, especially the public spaces. Happily, many have fine bones by way of high ceilings, easy street access, and strong proportions – all attributes that Istanbul-based interior designer Sami Savatli has accentuated in the newly minted Mitte Karakoy restaurant.

Set in Istanbul’s Karakoy hipster quarter, the ground floor of the old theatre has been reimagined as a spacious, light-filled cocktail bar and restaurant that is two parts French art deco and one part Keith Haring.

Very confidently, Savatli imbues the space with a light modern touch whilst emphasising the building's heritage by using Italian terrazzo flooring, handcrafted ceramics, brass lamps, raw iron-legged tables, and a dramatic ceiling embedded with 166 wooden blocks of abstract designs, that are hand-painted with ink and gold leaf.

The somewhat eclectic menu echoes Istanbul’s straddle of East and West, executive chef Irem Esen soaking up the flavours of India, Indonesia, Japan and China to deliver tacos and beef tartar laced with truffled soya sauce, alongside bulgogi noodles, dim sum and beef udon fried Hokkien-styled. 

ADDRESS

Kemankes Mah
Necatibey Cd. 66 A
Karakoy
Istanbul

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Soho House

Located in Istanbul’s creative Beyoğlu neighbourhood, Soho House is set over four buildings, one of which is the former US Embassy originally built in 1872 by a Genoese shipping magnate with a penchant for Carrara marble floors and Italian rosewood, ornate frescoes and crystal chandeliers. Along with the three newer structures, the property, in total, houses 87 bedrooms,  a speakeasy-style bar called The Embassy Club and that Soho House failsafe, Cecconi’s restaurant. Of course, there is also a Cowshed spa, which wins extra authenticity points for its incorporation of two hammam rooms.

Evliya Çelebi Mahallesi, 34430 Beyoğlu/Istanbul; T: 90 212 377 71 00; www.sohohouseistanbul.com; Rates from: £216

Shangri-La Bosphorus

On prime waterfront territory in a revived tobacco warehouse from 1929, the Shangri-la's no-frills neoclassical exterior belies the opulence of what lies inside. Echoing the splendour of Istanbul's Ottoman palaces, but with discreet dashes of the brand's signature Chinoiserie sensibility, the understated blue, beige and cream colour palette shines through in extravagant details like the two-storey high chandelier suspended in the atrium or the 59ft long Chinese silk painting. In contrast, the 186 rooms - most overlooking The Bosphorus - are low-key with plush details from framed wall panels to marble bathrooms. The signature restaurant serves Cantonese dishes, while IST TOO -- designed by Anré Fu -- is an all-day international affair. One of the highlights though, is the hotel's location, right outside the Beşiktaş Ferry Terminal, which means you can get to the Asian side within minutes where you can tuck into authentic Turkish fare.

Sinanpaşa Mahallesi, Hayrettin İskelesi Sk. D:No.1, 34353 Beşiktaş/ Istanbul; T: 90 212 275 88 88; www.shangri-la.com/istanbul; Rates from: £244

Raffles

Part of Istanbul''s Zorlu Centre, an ambitious mixed-use development that also comprises an upmarket shopping centre, Raffles eschews the Byzantine and Ottoman references found in so many of the city's luxury hotels, instead positioning itself as a symbol of modern Turkey. That's not to say the property is completely devoid of a sense of place; The LA-based interior design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates has dressed the space in lush Byzantine silk, gold mosaics, traditional Turkish textiles and an impressive collection of specially commissioned local artwork. All rooms feature a balcony with the best views overlooking the city. If none of that pleases, the two pools (one on the roof alongside the helipad) and a 3,000 sq m spa stocked with products from The Organic Pharmacy most definitely will.

Levazım Mahallesi Koru Sokağı Zorlu Center, 34340 Beşiktas; 90 212 924 02 00; www.raffles.com/istanbul; Rates from £303

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at The Bosphorus

Following the success of its first venture -- in a listed prison building in the tourist hub of Sultanahmet -- the Four Seasons hotel group's second opening in the city, which launched in 2008, was an equally bold move, setting up inside a restored 19th-century Ottoman Palace on the Bosphorus. In keeping with the brand's traditional aesthetic, local outfit Metex Design Group layered the building's original neoclassical details with understated furnishings, marble and glass in a palette of aqua, silver and taupe that reflects the shimmering Bosphorus outside. The highlight is the sprawling terrace - also the best spot from which to look back and admire the building's elegant façade - from where you can laze by the pool or have a bite at one of the three restaurants while soaking up the waterside activity.

No:28, Çırağan Cd., 34349 Beşiktaş/İstanbul; T: 90 212 381 40 00; www.fourseasons.com/bosphorus; Rates from: £342

Karaköy Rooms

'Rooms' pretty much sums up what this bolthole is about, but located in the buzzing harbourside Karakõy neighbourhood, what you can't find inside, you will almost certainly find nearby. That said, the hotel's restaurant seems to be a local favourite, serving up traditional Turkish meze with a good side of raki. Upstairs, the 12 light-filled antique rooms have been crisply updated with parquet flooring, antique furnishings and luxe details, creating the perfect haven to return to after a day spent pounding the streets of Istanbul.

Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Mahallesi, Kemankeş Caddesi & Galata Şarap Iskelesi Sokak No:10, 34425 Beyoğlu/Istanbul; T: 90 212 252 54 22; karakoyrooms.com; Rates from: £56

Park Hyatt Istanbul Maçka Palas

Its location in the upscale Nişantaşı neighbourhood might be a world away from the charm of Istanbul's Old City, but it is perfectly fitting for the Park Hyatt brand's signature clean-lined and modern aesthetic. Set over two contrasting buildings, the property takes its name from the older neoclassical wing which dates back to 1922. Here, the 90 guestrooms feature a low-key, design with an art deco flair that complement the building's original arches and ornate mouldings, while the spa starts with the bathrooms, where steam rooms are bound to cure any jet lag. In the newer section -- a former car showroom -- is the hotel's restaurant and wine bar, but come summer, you'll likely find us on the rooftop sipping poolside cocktails.

Teşvikiye, Bronz Sk. D:no: 4, 34367 Şişli/İstanbul; T: 90 212 315 12 34; www.hyatt.com; Rates from: £180

Room Mate Emir

From the candyfloss froth of the reception, to the crisp confines of the breakfast area and the sensual elegance of the 47 suites, Room Mate's Istanbul hotel is a light-flooded study in contemporary chic; cool but also romantic. Credit Lázaro Rosa Violán, whose total remodelling of this period property honours the city's cosmopolitan past by retaining painted ceilings, parquet floors and exposed brickwork but brings it firmly into today with a mix of mid-century flourishes, strategically-placed mirrors, lovingly-crafted woodwork and ultra-contemporary furnishings. There is no restaurant, but located just a 20-minute stride away from the bustling harbourside neighbourhood of Karaköy, means that what you don't get inside, will certainly be found on the outside.

Kuloğlu Mh., Sadri Alışık Sk. No:33, 34433 Beyoğlu; T: 90 212 393 19 39; room-matehotels.com/en/emir; Rates from: £67

The House Hotel Bomonti

In Bomonti, a newly revitalised industrial district, not far from Nişantaşı and Beyoğlu neighbourhoods, this stylish 51-room offering -- from homegrown Turkish brand, The House Group -- is the work of London-based architects Conran + Partners. Inspired by the the neighbourhood's urban atmosphere and bold industrial heritage, the firm layered the space with a monochromatic palette of concrete floors and walls, natural stones and black-framed factory-style glazing, while rich textures like marble and timber, together with the furnishings, create a modern sensibility. There is a gym and a spa - complete with a marble Turkish bath  and an indoor pool - while the restaurant serves breakfast and an all-day Turkish and international menu. The hotel's biggest draw however, is its location which is brimming with shops, restaurants and bars.

Cumhuriyet Mah. Düzoğlu Sok. No:2 / A Bomonti, 34380 Şişli/İstanbul; T: 90 212 916 11 11; househotels.com; Rates from: £69

The Marmara Pera

We can think of at least two reasons why you should stay at The Marmara Pera. First, is its location in the trendy Beyoglu neighbourhood just steps away from the pedestrian shopping street Istiklal Avenue, second is its rooftop terrace and pool with views of the city and beyond. Of course, each of the rooms has a view, but plump for a Bosphorus View Suite, where low-slung mid-century-style furnishings are perfectly placed to admire the Golden Horn and the historic peninsula of Istanbul. And while an abundance of nearby cafés and restaurants are just outside, there's no excuse not to stay in and sample chef Mehmet Gürs delicious Anatolian dishes at Mikla Restaurant.

Asmalı Mescit Mahallesi, Meşrutiyet Cd., 34430 Beyoğlu; T: 90 212 334 03 00; www.themarmarahotels.com; Rates from: £62

Witt Istanbul Hotel

Upping Istanbul's design hotel bar is this intimate 18-room bolthole in Cihangir- a former unassuming block that has been refreshed by local firm Autoban. Eclectic retro furnishings, like the sleek rocking chairs and boxy leather sofas, from the firm's own collection can be found throughout the hotel including in the guestrooms, which have been outfitted as fully-equipped lofts with kitchenettes. Modern accents like winged leather headboards, plywood Magnolia lights, and polished black tiles are incorporated into each of the sultry yet subdued interiors, while bathrooms feature Ross Lovegrove fixtures and Molton Brown toiletries. There is no on-site restaurant (apart from the lobby that serves a daily breakfast) but if you do fancy staying in, there is the option to order in from any of the neighbourhood eateries- which is ideal, especially if you have booked a Sea View Room.

Kılınç Ali Paşa Mahallesi, Defterdar Ykş. No:26, 34433 Beyoğlu; T: 90 212 293 15 00; www.wittistanbul.com; Rates from: £134

With the paint barely dry on its two new properties in Singapore, the Six Senses Group has just opened a new beach-front property in Bodrum.

A brisk 10-minute helicopter ride north of the airport, the 141-room is set in a starkly gorgeous inlet that’s framed with hills cloaked with cypresses and olive trees. New York-based studio Clodagh has furnished the interiors with a quiet mix of white marble for the bathrooms, blonde timber flooring and armchairs, and capacious white outdoor sofa lounges set under slatted overhangs.

The brand’s unusual commitment to wellness is shown off to best effect at the 10,000 sqm spa. In addition to an anti-aging clinic, a physical assessment centre that harnesses NASA technology, and a polygonal outdoor swimming pool overlooking the ever-present Aegean, the main complex features an indoor lap pool crowned by a corona of timber slats, Watsu pool, crystal steam room, salt grotto and, of all things, an igloo.

ADDRESS

Bozbük Mahallesi
Merkez Sokak No. 198
Milas, Turkey

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From the candyfloss froth of the reception, to the crisp confines of the breakfast area and the sensual elegance of the 47 suites, the latest Room Mate hotel is a light-flooded study in contemporary chic; cool but also romantic. 

Credit Lázaro Rosa Violán, whose total remodelling of this period property honours Istanbul’s cosmopolitan past by retaining painted ceilings, parquet floors and exposed brickwork but brings it firmly into today with a mix of mid-Century flourishes, strategically-placed mirrors, lovingly-crafted woodwork and ultra-contemporary furnishings. 

Skip over the chain’s mildly mortifying Alt-AirB&B notion that each of its 22 hotels is the embodiment of an actual person (guests booking online for Istanbul are greeted by plaid-shirt pretty boy, Emir) for what founder Enrique Sarasola has pulled off – affordable, stylish properties in central locations – is genius.

It’s the hotel equivalent of an Uterqüe. Or a Zara. Little wonder that Inditex heiress Sandra Ortega holds shares.

ADDRESS

Kuloğlu Mahallesi, Sadri Alışık Sokak 33

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Canyon Ranch, the US-based spa resort much loved by American socialites of a certain generation and Hollywood stars, has landed in Turkey’s Aegean coastline.

Cleaving close to the model of low environmental impact, the Spanish architecture firm OAB has delivered a sybaritic 141-room bolt-hole sheathed in stucco and recycled rock, and furnished in a soothing palette of cream, pine hues and white.

All the rooms face the inky-blue Aegean, though we daresay little or no time will be spent in them, not when there’s a 107,500 sq ft spa, fitness and health centre to explore. As expected, the spa menu is extensive, not least a languorous session in the herbal steam chamber while being slathered with locally sourced mud.

In the kitchen, executive chef Muhammed Hançabay pairs vanilla-scented salmon in vanilla with avocado relish and fava bean cream, and pan-roasted seabass fillet with a tangy lemon and thyme gnocchi.

ADDRESS

Bozbük Köyü No:194 Kaplankaya Mevkii

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When it comes to pedigree and location, it’s difficult to trump the new Hagia Sophia Mansions in Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet quarter.

The British interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard has parlayed his penchant for Middle-Eastern exoticism, geometric patterns and lush fabrics into a 21st-century pasha’s pleasure dome.

Located on the edge of the Topkapi palace, the hotel comprises a sweep of richly textured  75 rooms and a private villa that were carved out of a cluster of Ottoman ambassadors’ homes. The illusion of Arabian Nights romanticism is reinforced by a number of conceits, not least reflecting water pools, chandeliers, brass lanterns and Ottoman-inspired wallpaper to go with the hand-carved beds and mini-hammam in each bathroom.

And if the views of the Topkapi or the Blue Mosque aren’t sufficiently thrilling, the subterranean spa earns extra points for its atmospheric setting in an original Roman aqueduct, as does the house restaurant Sarnic, which is inserted into a cavernous 1,500-year-old water cistern.

ADDRESS

Cankurtaran Mh., Kabasakal Cd. No. 5

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The latest addition to Soho House’s growing litany of outposts finds itself in Istanbul’s creative district of Beyoglu. Consisting of four buildings, the hotel and private members club is a smart amalgamation of old and new, with its most historic component — an 1873 structure called the Corpi Building — known locally as the former US embassy and consulate. It has been carefully merged with a series of newer structures, which in their totality houses 87 bedrooms, two rooftop pools, a speakeasy-styled bar named The Embassy Club and that Soho House failsafe, Cecconi’s restaurant. Buried in amongst the hotel’s restored frescoes, Carrara marble flooring and rosewood doors, is a Cowshed spa that wins extra authenticity points for its incorporation of two hammam rooms.

ADDRESS

Evliya Çelebi Mahallesi Mesrutiyet Cad. No 56
Istanbul
Turkey

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Former professional windsurfer Kemal Demirasal’s talents have extended to the kitchen, where since launching his first restaurant in 2007, in the town of Çesme on the Aegean coast, he has emerged as one of Turkey’s most acclaimed chefs. Now, bringing his culinary vision to Istanbul, Demirasal has opened Alancha, a two-floor eatery, designed by Alaçati-based firm Cacti Architecture, whose understated interiors successfully counteract the glossiness of the Armani Maçka Residences- the building it is housed in. Tactile woods, leathers and a wall of live greenery give life to a mainly concrete space, while low-hanging pendant lights reduce the effects of the lofty ceiling, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere. Using fresh ingredients from Demirasal's own farm, the menu celebrates the origins of Anatolian cuisine, and features dishes such as galantine salad with lamb brain cream, a nod to Istanbul's street food traditions, and 'yahni', an onion stew brought form Persia to Anatolia by Alexander the Great. All food is cooked in the restaurant's wood-fired oven, while an on-site research and development facility with a test kitchen and library allows the chefs to constantly experiment and explore new directions.

ADDRESS

Hüsrev Gerede Cad. Sehit Mehmet Sok 9
Besiktas

Istanbul

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The first property under the Morgans Hotel Group umbrella to open outside of the US or UK, Istanbul’s 10 Karaköy is the beginning of a series of hip, upcoming international launches for the brand. Named after the burgeoning neighbourhood it is resident of, the 71-room hotel is housed in a handsome neoclassical pile – the vision of architect Araditi Razi – dating from 1875. Inside, the property achieves the cloistered quiet, remindful of the hospital it once was, thanks to architect Sinan Kafadar, who kept much of the building’s original features, including a soaring, arched atrium, which is now home to the hotel’s lobby. Evidencing his knack for understated elegance, the rooms and public spaces are plush in their devotion to rich fabrics, deep armchairs, ink-streaked marble and elegant bronze trimmings, all in a healing palette of light greys and teal. In a city with flourishing culinary offerings, Rudolf, the in-house restaurant, comes up trumps with a Mediterranean menu that includes slow-cooked octopus, topped with pesto, carrots, beetroot and coriander. The low lit Sky Terrace bar meanwhile, flaunts romantic vistas of the old city.

ADDRESS

Kemeralt? Caddesi 10
34425 Karaköy
Istanbul

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Ist Too, one of the two restaurants found within the newly opened Shangri-La hotel in Turkey's culture capital, certainly lives up to the building's exterior grandeur. Designed by Hong Kong-based Andre Fu of AFSO, the interior is inspired by lavish 16th- and 17th-century Ottoman aesthetics, with Fu working to a traditional Turkish colour scheme of neutrals, dark metallics and rich complementary colours. Turkish marble, which takes centre stage in the restaurant on the flooring, tables and other smaller furnishings throughout, is thoughtfully matched with dark oak furnishings, taupe leather seats, bronze light fittings, gold details and flecks of royal blue and deep purple. There is a variety of cuisines (from Asian to Mediterranean) to suit most palates, but it's the impressive wall of wine that will have us coming back for more.

ADDRESS

Sinanpasa Mah
Hayrettin Iskelesi Sok, No.1
Besiktas

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On reflection, it was a canny decision to open Raffles in Istanbul’s most ambitious mixed-use development. Designed by architects Emre Arolat and Murat Tabanlioglu, the Zorlu Center, in the Besiktas district, is a mammoth 21st-century bazaar heaving with boldface-name retailers (the world’s third largest Apple Store, for instance), a West End-style theatre, private apartments, offices, food and drink outlets, and art galleries. Occupying the seventh to 21st floors of the east tower, the 181-room Raffles has the feel of a modern pasha’s digs. The LA-based interior design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates has dressed the space in lush Byzantine silk, gold mosaics, traditional Turkish textiles and an impressive collection of specially commissioned paintings, sculpture, video art and photography. All rooms feature a balcony with the best views overlooking the Bosphorus and the Princes’ Islands. If none of that pleases, the two pools (one on the roof alongside the helipad) and a 3,000 sq m spa stocked with products from The Organic Pharmacy most definitely will. 

ADDRESS

Zorlu Center
34340 Istanbul
Turkey

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After the success of his first restaurant Münferit, Istanbul-based chef Ferit Sarper has launched a new eatery located in the bustling district of Karaköy. Gaspar, with its menu of contemporary Turkish dishes, from broiled octopus with polenta to pasta with bottarga (Mediterranean cured fish roe), is designed by Seyhan Özdemir, Sarper’s wife and one half of the Istanbul-based design studio Autoban.

Anchored inside a century-old printing house - a beautiful neo-classical building with high ceilings - Gaspar unfolds into a double-storey space clad in a dynamic patchwork of plywood panels in different sizes and finishes. Playing with mathematical order, the backlit panels create a kinetic randomness on the walls. Interiors, inspired by the concept of the Cabinet of Curiosities, are furnished selectively with unusually contoured pieces that bring character to the space.

ADDRESS

Müeyyeyzade Mahallesi
Necatibey Caddesi
Arapoglan Sokak No.6
Istanbul
Turkey

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The French Mama Shelter hotels have a new Turkish sibling. Set over three floors at the top of a new department store on Istiklal Caddesi in central Istanbul, the 81-room hotel has Mama's usual mix of humour and fun. Like the other properties, Mama Shelter Istanbul is designed by Philippe Starck and features guest rooms with whitewashed walls stippled with pops of orange. The communal bar hosts a programme of hip DJ parties to attract young Turks, who begin the evening at the restaurant. The menu offers a mix of local and European fare by Michelin three-star chef Alain Senderens and features his special boeuf bourguignon with mashed potatoes. A roof terrace, serving an equally delectable menu of cocktails, is bound to be a summer hit.

ADDRESS

Huseyin Aga Mahallesi Istiklal Caddesi 50-54
Beyoglu
Istanbul
Turkey

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Offering one of Istanbul's best waterside views, the newly opened Tapasuma restaurant is yet another reminder of what a cosmopolitan contender the city has become. Housed within a nineteenth century Ottoman distillery, the interior features a striking centerpiece in the form of an eight-metre long Calcutta marble bar, while a palette of mushroom and charcoal grey have a warming effect, brightened by plenty of natural light. Chef Gokay Cakiroglu serves up a tempting menu of traditional yet modern Turkish fare that includes a selection of hot and cold tapas dishes such as baked, dry figs stuffed with goats cheese. The extensive wine list, offering an array of regional grapes, adds to the locality of this very modern Turkish restaurant.

ADDRESS

Kuleli Caddesi 43
Çengelköy
Istanbul

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The newest member of Istanbul's ever-expanding design-hotel scene, the Marti is a 270-room venture playing heavily on Turkish art and culture (its designer, Zeynep Fadillioglu, is notable for being Turkey's first female architect to build a mosque). While strikingly modern, the hotel threads together traditional Turkish elements like mosaic murals and wooden screens in the rooms. At its heart is a large atrium centred on an Ottoman tent and water installation by Turkish Carnegie Prize-winner Kutlug Ataman. The four restaurants and bars include a placid courtyard café, which should interest the Young Turks who frequent frenetic Taksim Square, just a few moments away.

ADDRESS

Abdülhak Hamit Cad No.25B
Taksim 34435
Istanbul
Turkey

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With its long stretches of sandy beaches, backed by craggy mountains, it would be an understatement to describe the scenery of Turkey's Turqouoise Coast as dramatic. Here, in a quiet spot, surrounded by pine forests, sits D-Hotel Maris. A design collaboration between Turkish firm Midek Mingü and Singapore's SCDA Architects, the 200-room hotel combines Asian minimalist elegance with warm Turkish hospitality. Guest rooms offer mountain or sea views, with bathtubs on balconies. A restaurant named 'The Spice' offers Ottoman Asian fare, while 'The Breeze' is a more casual seafood alternative. The resort also offers a 'menu' of water sports from water skiing to diving, while the spa's treatments involve Aegean Sea Shell and Purva Karma Four Handed massages.

ADDRESS

Datca Yolu 35 km Hisaronu Mevkii 
48700 Hisarönü
Turkey

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The fourth project from Istanbul's House Hotel group is new accommodation inside the former Ottoman Bank buildings in the up-and-coming neighbourhood of Karaköy. Dating from 1863, the storied structure, restored by Turkish architect Han Tümertekin, retains all of its original details, while the contemporary décor was created by Sinan Kafadar - best known for the interiors of both Four Seasons hotels in the city. Artwork comes from owner Yilmaz Ulusoy's personal collection, while advisor Zeynep Berik also commissioned emerging local artists to create exclusive pieces for the hotel. High ceilings further create a rich library atmosphere, complete with antiques and vintage objects and further down the lobby, the old vault serves as a backdrop to a sophisticated bar area.

ADDRESS

Bankalar Caddesi No. 5
Karaköy
Istanbul
Turkey

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It has never been easier to find luxury digs from which to enjoy Turkey's magical southeast coastline. The latest offering, Mandarin Oriental's Bodrum property, covers 60 hectares of the spectacular waterfront, offering 59 guestrooms, 27 suites, 23 apartments and a couple of sprawling Presidential Villas to boot. Each room allows easy access to the Aegean Sea with a sundeck, balcony or terrace; the suites even feature outdoor showers, private gardens and plunge pools. Casual tapas are available at the M2 Bar, while Assaggio boasts top Italian cuisine - not to mention afternoon tea in the Terrace Lounge. The Olive Garden - not to be confused with the American casual dining chain of the same name - serves up local fare in an al fresco setting. When the sun is at its most brutal, guests head to the 2,700 sq m spa, or hire a Turkish gulet (a traditional wooden sailing vessel) or helicopter for a tour of the surrounding beaches and hills.

ADDRESS

Cennet Koyu
Comca Mevkii
314
Golturkbuku Mahallesi
Bodrum
Mugla

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Perched on the rooftop of an old building in Istanbul's up-and-coming creative district, Karaköy, FerahFeza is the latest restaurant offering from the team behind the successful Leb-i Derya. Boasting two terraces with views of the neighbourhood rooftops on one side and a sprawling vista of the Golden Horn on the other, the eatery - designed by local outfit i-am - features brass countertops with Tom Dixon lights in the bar along with contrasting warm woods and grey upholstered chairs in the restaurant. Outside, the terrace is airy with concrete walls, enhanced by metallic paneling and sleek grey marble slates that reflect the sky and mimic the deck of an elegant yacht. Serving a local menu with a contemporary twist, the restaurant has already been embraced by trendsetters as a natural game changer.

ADDRESS

Kemanke Caddesi No.31 
Kat: 5
Karaköy
Istanbul

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Raif Dinckok Yalova Cultural Centre, Yalova, by Emre Arolat Architects

Yalova has a prized natural environment but also a harsh industrial landscape, and those two sides of its character meet in Emre Arolat's design. The internal spaces - including a 600-capacity multipurpose meeting place, a workshop, wedding and exhibition rooms, a library, office and cafeteria - boast unique geometries that can just be made out through the metallic façade. Inside, the building is surprisingly transparent, reminding one of David Chipperfield's Des Moines public library, as you follow the ramp that connects the masses to each other and creates a sheltered inner street

www.emrearolat.com

To break away from the modernist templates that have dominated the architectural landscape over the past half-century, Turkish architects have begun to take inspiration from diverse sources: installation art, Donald Judd and arboriculture, to name a few. These developments have coincided with the recent increase in the number of foreign architects working in partnership with local firms. Aside from which, the industry in general has spurred a serious appreciation for the country's magnificent Ottoman heritage and a movement of mourning following last century's indiscriminate destruction of many important buildings. The result here in Turkey is a rapidly evolving architectural scene - not a given, but a happy consequence of the country experiencing the highest economic growth of any nation in the G20, China included, in the first quarter of 2011

Asmaçati Shopping and Meeting Point, Izmir, by Tabanlioğlu Architects

Asmaçati follows the practice's earlier shopping complexes, Kanyon and Flyinn, both in Istanbul, which explored a similar theme of connecting with the urban fabric, rather than putting shoppers in an artificially lit box cut off from the rest of the city. The warm climate and the tradition, here on the Aegean coast, of spending time outdoors has allowed the architects to go a step further and create a semi-open space canopied by metal mesh, inspired by ivy

www.tabanlioglu.com

Beşiktaş Fish Market, Istanbul, by Global Architectural Development (GAD)

This new marketplace embraces its location, between three bustling streets in an old neighbourhood in Istanbul. And since construction began, the brief has been expanded, so that the space can be used for art installations and events taking place in the adjacent buildings. Believed by some to resemble a piece of cloth lifted from the corners, and by others to mimic a seashell, the high form, which maintains visual links with the surrounding fish restaurants, seems more like an aardvark or something out of 'Star Wars'. This ambiguity seems appropriate for the multifaceted programme of events it'll star in.

www.gadarchitecture.com

The Seed concert hall, Emirgan, Istanbul by Nevzat Sayin, NSMH

The architect set himself an almost impossible task: to create an 'invisible' building that would not detract from the views of the Bosphorous, which flows close by. Nevertheless, the most striking element of the exterior is the Gabion wall, a structural system that was also used by Herzog & de Meuron in their 1998 Dominus winery in California. Beyond that, Sayin respected the building's original fabric: the old terrace, stone walls and trees - in fact, one tree grows through the long outdoor terrace that runs parallel to the river. When you enter you're greeted by a vast construction-equipment-yellow bubble that forms the outer walls of the 'seed' auditorium; you'll have to descend a level to access it, though. The incline of the auditorium, containing an array of differently coloured seats, and the size of the stage can be adjusted

www.nsmh.com

The mosque and courtyard form a city square at the junction of two major roads. The complex consists of a 300-person prayer area, a meeting hall, library and social activity spaces. Following in the tradition of monumental Ottoman stone structures, forms are sculpted out of the main volumes - two half-domes of different size - to create a gathering place, the entrance, mihrab and windows. The exterior's ubiquitous Marmara marble provides a strong contrast with the highrise concrete structures that have risen all around

www.adnankazmaoglu.com

Sur Yapi office, Istanbul, by Tago Architects

This particular site - the summit of a hill surrounded by highrise developments - inspired the architects to create an unusual design for this Sur Yapi office on the Asian side of Istanbul. The wooden elements of the facades are angled in various directions to catch the eye. The panels on the south façade help to deflect sunlight and noise, yet also create open terraces. The building is currently a sales office for the residential units nearby, but will become the developer's headquarters

www.tagoarchitects.com

AVLU 138, Istanbul, by Muum Architects

Avlu 138 is the latest development in a gentrifying corner of Istanbul. The courtyard garden and wooden screens on the street façade together offer residents and guests a respite from the traffic and urban environment surrounding the project. The block is a mixed-use development, with commercial premises on the ground floor and apartments, including four duplexes, above. The plan is for the new plantings to eventually coat the walls of the courtyard, creating a private, anti-urban landscape.

www.muum.com.tr

Medina Turgul DDB office, Istanbul, by Erginoğlu & Çalışlar Architects

The modest, painted-plaster exterior gives no hint of the monumental structure within this 170-year-old former salt repository, which won the New and Old Award at last year's World Architecture Festival. Inside, steel and glass mezzanines and polished floors create beautiful contrast with the aged-stone walls. The industrial-style mezzanines provide new links between the four main galleries bordered by the 10m stone walls

www.ecarch.com

Lüleburgaz Yildizlari football academy (LYFA), Lüleburgaz, by DDRLP

This football-training centre for children barely registers on the radar; the multipurpose indoor arena, with classrooms and changing rooms between playing fields, hugs the flat landscape. Rather than blindly follow today's fashion for iconic buildings, DDRLP had wider ambitions: to provide greater opportunity for social interaction in the town. An elliptical plaza and pedestrian bridge connect the academy to a public park. People's knowledge and craft are utilised to put the locally sourced materials together in the construction process and to give the building more 'soul'. Excavated soil forms the base of the grandstands

www.ddrlp.com

The art world has turned its gaze on Turkey and its vibrant contemporary cultural scene. As Istanbul is crowned this year's European Capital of Culture, Sotheby's is holding a sale of Turkish contemporary art and European collectors are flocking to discover some of the local talent.

'Unleashed: Contemporary Art From Turkey' aims to document this scene. The third in a series of books to explore and map out the current art movements emerging from the Middle East and the Arab world, it features a series of profiles and interviews with over 100 key artists, curators and art supporters within the country.

'Turkey is undergoing almost a cultural explosion,' notes Maryam Eisler, London-based art collector and executive editor of Unleashed. The country's contemporary art scene has been shaped by its volatile geographical location - at the crossroads of east and west. At the heart of this artistic renaissance is Istanbul. Although the capital, Ankara, and other major cities like Izmir and Diyarbakir also have a vibrant art scene - each with their own regional accents - Istanbul is the public face of a country eager to define itself as a liberal Muslim democracy facing Europe.

The vibrant city boasts around 250 mostly privately owned galleries, a huge expansion from just a handful a decade ago. Most of the artists represented by these galleries and captured in Unleashed are responding to Turkey's current social and political tension. There is also a strong dialogue emerging between the local artists and the Turkish diaspora. Berna Tuglular, a contributor to the book, notes that in general the new breed make few references to Turkey's past, be it the Ottoman Empire that ruled over the region for centuries, or indeed its rich visual history and calligraphy.

Instead artists featured, such as Taner Ceylan, are creating highly provocative homoerotic photorealist paintings, while others, like Hale Tenger, deal with issues of immigration. 'There is no censorship in Turkey,' says Eisler bluntly, interesting given the country's current struggles with social liberalism, globalisation, potential entry into the European Union and the rise of Islamic ideology. Not to mention the historical battle it faces with cultural chauvinism and a reluctance to fully listen to regional voices, be they Kurdish or Armenian.

Just recently, one of Ceylan's videos installations was projected at a gallery behind one of Istanbul's main mosques. The only time he was asked to halt the show was during Friday prayer. 'This could not have happened even five years ago,' she notes.

Turkey sits under the watchful eye of its neighbouring Iran, where censorship is supreme. 'We know Iran is there, but almost ignore it,' jokes Tuglular. She says Turkey struggles with similar religious conflicts to Iran, yet so far its regime has been able to ward off extremists from taking cultural control.

'The issues addressed in Turkey's contemporary art movement have a direct link to the concerns of modernisation faced by all non-secular Islamic societies,' says Hossein Amirsadeghi, the brainchild of Unleashed and the two other books 'Different Sames: New Perspectives in Contemporary Iranian Art' and 'New Vision: Arab Contemporary Art in the 21st Century'. Amirsadeghi notes that in countries like Turkey, art can often be a powerful catalyst for change, the 'blind hand' that guides society. 'Art', he concludes, 'plays an important role in the transformation of culture.'