Basic HTML Version
BUSINESS
|
ISTANBUL
MEET THE TURKISH DESIGN DUO
WHO ARE CHANGING THE FACE OF
ISTANBUL – AND BEYOND – ONE
AMAZING SPACE AT A TIME
ANYONE WHO’S
ever been to Istanbul will tell
you that it’s a busy, chaotic place. Its traffic jams are
notorious, as is the almost incessant cacophony that
rises from every street corner and every bustling souk
as more than 13-million people go about their lives.
Yet within this bedlam, you’ll find at least one
oasis of calm. The whitewashed, minimalist office
space of the Autoban architecture and design agency
(
autoban212.com
) is a creative cocoon from which
Seyhan Özdemir, 37, and Sefer Çaglar, 39, are slowly
transforming the city around them. Since setting
up shop in 2003, this dynamic duo have become
Istanbul’s go-to team for anyone wanting to create a
“see and be seen” spot – from sleek boutique hotels to
upmarket restaurants and chic bars. In the process,
they are changing the face of Istanbul – from an aging
city with lacklustre design features to something more
contemporary and stylish.
“Istanbul’s chaos, contrasts, contradictions and
unexpectedness influence us,” says Özdemir. “Our
designs vitalize Istanbul’s social life and also motivate
young designers.” The duo received their first award
in 2004, when
Wallpaper*
magazine named them
among the year’s five Best Young Designers and more
international plaudits have followed.
Indeed, their evolution from students at Istanbul’s
Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (where Özdemir
studied architecture and Çaglar interior design) to
design stars was a rapid one, starting with restaurant
and café interiors in Istanbul, before branching out to
a furniture line sold worldwide. They now run a firm
of 35 people, with international hotel and restaurant
projects in Madrid, St Petersburg, Zurich and Hong
Kong. In every one of their spaces, the objective is
J E A N I N E B A R O N E
to create an engaging, provocative event for all who
step over the threshold. “What’s important to us is
stimulating the guests to dream and letting them have
an unforgettable experience,” says Özdemir.
The duo have become known for their use of simple
furnishings and lighting fixtures that feature clean
lines, stellar craftsmanship and more than a whiff
of whimsy. “Whether it’s interiors or furniture, the
best part of the design process is experimenting,”
says Özdemir. It’s no surprise to hear that Ray and
Charles Eames, Le Corbusier, Rem Koolhaas and
Oscar Niemeyer are some of the visionary architects
and designers Özdemir and Çaglar most admire. But
while the duo are happy to admit their debt to these
design greats, many of their pieces are influenced by
“Istanbul’s chaos, contrasts,
Ride
the
Autoban
86
|
TRAVELLER