Open Door Architecture Festival – 14 October 2026

PALAZZO CORPI · 09:30

Led by Levent Abay

Palazzo Corpi is an Italian palazzo built entirely of marble in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district. In 1873, Genoese merchant Ignazio Corpi commissioned Italian architect Giacomo Leoni to design and build the residence in Istanbul.

The frescoes adorning its high ceilings depict mythological figures including Apollo, Dionysus and Neptune. After the U.S. government purchased the building in 1907, a stone bearing the eagle, the national emblem of the United States, was placed above its entrance.

Today, the magnificent Renaissance-style building is home to Soho House Istanbul. Its original ceiling frescoes and marble staircases have been carefully preserved.

ZEYREK ÇİNİLİ HAMAM · 09:45

Located in Zeyrek, a neighbourhood where the layers of Istanbul’s historic urban life can still be felt, Zeyrek Çinili Hamam is one of the area’s landmark buildings. It was commissioned from Mimar Sinan by Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha, admiral of the Ottoman fleet, during the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent.

Despite being a hidden cultural treasure with a history spanning five centuries, Zeyrek Çinili Hamam remained largely overlooked for many years. Following a meticulous thirteen-year restoration, it reopened to the public in September 2023.

Today, Zeyrek Çinili Hamam contributes to the life of the city not only as an architectural masterpiece, but also through the archaeological and historical discoveries uncovered during its restoration, paving the way for new research into Istanbul’s past.

MINOA PERA (UNION FRANÇAISE) · 11:00

Led by Sunay Paşaoğlu

Designed and built by Alexandre Vallaury in 1896, the Union Française building is located on Meşrutiyet Avenue. Constructed in masonry over a high basement level, the three-storey building served as the home of Union Française for many years.

As commercial activity and the surrounding urban fabric changed over time, the building changed hands and was subsequently used for cultural and artistic activities, social events and various commercial offices before eventually requiring renovation.

Today, Minoa Pera, located within the historic Union Française building, serves as a meeting place centred around books.

BURSA – PANORAMA 1326 BURSA CONQUEST MUSEUM · 11:00

Led by Prof. Dr. Özgür Ediz

Opened in Bursa’s Osmangazi district in 2018 and designed by Prof. Dr. Özgür Ediz and Prof. Dr. Nilüfer Akıncıtürk, Panorama 1326 Bursa Conquest Museum is a fully panoramic structure that presents the story of Bursa’s conquest without bloodshed through an immersive 360-degree experience.

Conceived as an extension of Kamberler Park, the museum stands out for its green roof, which supports passive climate control, as well as its solar panels and city terrace overlooking Uludağ.

Unlike conventional panorama museums, its panoramic sphere does not rest directly on the ground but appears suspended above it, creating a spacious multipurpose forum area on the lower level.

BEYKOZ ÇUBUKLU SILOS · 12:00

Beykoz Çubuklu Silos are part of Istanbul’s industrial heritage, located in the Çubuklu neighbourhood of Beykoz on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. Built by the Turkish Sugar Factories in the mid-20th century, the silos were primarily used to store products derived from sugar beet.

After losing their original function, the structures remained abandoned for many years. Following restoration and adaptive reuse works carried out by İBB Miras in accordance with universal conservation principles, the Çubuklu Silos reopened in 2024 as a new centre for culture, arts and public life on the Bosphorus.

BURSA – HİSARİÇİ ARKEOPARK · 12:00

Designed by CM Architecture and Nevzat Oğuz Özer Architecture, Bursa Hisariçi Arkeopark took shape following archaeological excavations that began with the discovery of the Zodiac Mosaic in 2000.

Rather than functioning solely as an archaeological site, the project was conceived as an urban destination incorporating a visitor centre, library and social spaces. The design establishes a relationship between the main traces of the ancient city and the contemporary urban fabric.

Instead of covering the site with a single monumental roof, smaller structural canopies were introduced to protect the mosaics in situ, allowing the intervention to remain in harmony with its historic surroundings.

MEMORY OF KUNDURA: THE WORLD WITHIN A FACTORY EXHIBITION AND MEMORY TOUR · 15:00

Led by the Kundura Memory Team

Kundura Memory develops initiatives dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the Sümerbank Beykoz Leather and Shoe Factory, while providing a rich interdisciplinary resource through its archive, library, exhibitions, workshops, and academic and artistic programmes.

Opened alongside the establishment of the Kundura Memory Cultural Heritage Preservation Association in 2021, the exhibition “Memory of Kundura: The World Within a Factory” offers a different perspective on the production history of the Sümerbank Beykoz Leather and Shoe Factory, one of the landmarks in Türkiye’s industrialisation history.