Open Door Architecture Festival 15 October 2026

İŞ VAPUR · 10:00

Narrated by Emre Kuzlu…

Brought to life through the vision of Türkiye İş Bankası, in collaboration with Şehir Hatları and with I-AM as creative partner, the project reinterprets the spirit of Boğaziçi ferry No. 66 — one of the iconic vessels of the Istanbul Bosphorus — for today’s needs. Inspired by the ferry built in 1910 by Şirket-i Hayriye, İş Vapur preserves traces of the past while proposing a new physical experience oriented toward the future of banking. That the project takes shape at Haliç Shipyard, a unique industrial heritage site where ships have been built since 1455, situates the idea of transformation within a broader historical continuum.

THE MEMORY OF FACADES: AN URBAN ROUTE FROM THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE TO THE REPUBLIC · 10:00

Narrated by Öznur Sayı…

The Memory of Facades: An Urban Route from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic is a short architectural history walk that reads, follows, and explores Istanbul’s historically layered urban fabric through façades. Before the tour, we will briefly revisit the eclectic European-influenced period that shaped Late Ottoman architecture and the First National Architecture Movement, followed by Republican-era modern architecture and the Second National Architecture Movement. Along the route — including Vedat Tek House, Levent Apartment, and Istanbul Radio House — we will jointly read the architectural language, formal qualities, and distinct approaches of these periods through the façades of different buildings.

YEDİKULE FORTRESS RESTORATION · 13:00

Narrated by Celaleddin Çelik…

Yedikule Fortress is a multilayered monumental work where Byzantine and Ottoman layers intertwine. It was first built in the 5th century under Theodosius II around the Golden Gate — the most magnificent gate of the land walls. This triumphal-arch gateway symbolized the emperors’ splendid entries into the city. After the conquest of Istanbul, Mehmed the Conqueror added three Ottoman towers to the Byzantine ones, transforming the structure into a seven-towered fortress linked by walls. Over time serving as treasury, garrison, and dungeon, these walls are today Istanbul’s living heritage through restoration work.

KARDES MULTICULTURAL MEMORY TOUR: TATAVLA · 14:00

With the KarDes Memory Walk, we follow the trail of Tatavla, one of Istanbul’s multilayered neighborhoods. Today located between Beyoğlu and Şişli, this area’s five-century history will be explored through stops ranging from Aya Dimitri Church to the Tatavla Bath, from Çeşme Square to the Tatavla Iraklis Gymnastics Club, and on to former casino and carnival venues. The walk focuses on the everyday life of the different communities that lived in the neighborhood, its entertainment culture, sports history, and the fires and transformations that remain in the district’s memory. On the streets of the neighborhood known today as Kurtuluş, we will trace the spatial and social structure that has changed over time.

İZMİR – AY YILDIZLI MANSION · 14:00

Ay Yıldızlı Mansion is a listed historic building constructed as a residence in the late 19th century in İzmir’s historic Basmane district.

The three-storey rectangular building uses a mixed construction technique frequently seen in 19th-century İzmir houses, combining stone-filled timber framing with timber bagdadi systems.

In 2021, TARKEM launched the building’s conservation, design, and adaptive reuse process, with projects prepared by architect Salih Seymen. The restoration was carried out by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. Completed in 2025, Ay Yıldızlı Mansion is today used as the presidential office of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality.

HALASKAR YOUTH AND LIFE CENTER · 15:00

Narrated by Mert Tanrıkulu and Recep Gökay Gökçe from TAG MİMARLIK, and Murat Şahin from PDG MİMARLAR…

Developed in Mecidiyeköy by İBB subsidiaries KİPTAŞ and İstanbul İmar AŞ, with foundations laid in 2022, Halaskar Youth and Life Center is a sociocultural hub that brings together different functions at one of the city’s busiest points.

The project includes the İBB Zübeyde Hanım Girls’ Student Dormitory, a multipurpose meeting room, a library, İETT platforms, a square, a 335-person mosque, and a fire station. Designed with topography and surrounding data in mind, the tree in the building’s foyer connects the square with the interior while establishing a metaphorical link between books and roots. The mosque’s corten steel façade symbolizes the strong bond between the durability of steel and the essence of the human being.

İZMİR – ELİF KOCABIYIK AND DANIELE SAVASTA HOUSE · 16:30

Designed by Salih Özgür Genca, the Elif Kocabıyık – Daniele Savasta House (Yokuşunbaşı) stands in a historic neighborhood of İzmir. The traditional dwelling has been renewed for contemporary needs while preserving its original plan and period traces.

This successful restoration, which combines the conservation, interpretation, and design of traditional elements, received the “Major Repair Award for Preserving Original Function” at the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality 2022 Respect for History Local Conservation Awards.