WANDERLUST Designer destinations A guest room at the new Cotton House Hotel, Barcelona Hotel, House the new Cotton at room A guest Design Anthology_Casa Capriz_Ad_June 2015_AW_OL.indd 1 14/5/15 2:34 pm WANDERLUST / Istanbul e Süleymaniye Mosque. Image by Stefan Holm/Shutterstock Istanbul Fast facts Country: Turkey / Region: Marmara / Airport: Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST) Time: UTC +2, daylight savings during summer / Currency: Turkish Lira (₺ / TRY) / Population: 14 million Country Code: +90 / Area code: 216 (Asia side), 212 (Europe side) / Ocial language: Turkish Power: 230V, plug types C and F 64 WANDERLUST / Istanbul Top: e Golden Horn, Istanbul. Image by Boris Stroujko/Shutterstock Bottom: Decorative tiles inside Topkapi Palace. Image by saiko3p/Shutterstock About stanbul is a city of nearly unparalleled historical and cultural signicance. Spread across both banks of the Bosphorus River with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia, the city has long played a strategic role in, quite literally, bridging the cultures and traditions of East and West, while its unique geography has thrust it into the centre of world history Itime and again. Capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, as it was rst known, £ourished as the western terminus of the Great Silk Road. Evidence of this legacy is still visible today in the bustling bazaars that brim with exotic spices, and the crumbling walls that once enclosed the world’s most heavily fortied city. Later, under the Ottoman Empire, the city was renamed and rose again in prominence, this time as the epicentre of Islamic culture with its rich artistic and architectural forms. e Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and traditional hammams, all teeming with lavish textiles, mosaics and calligraphic art, recall this rich heritage. To visit Istanbul today is to walk thrugh history, both ancient and contemporary. Mediaeval city planning, arcaded avenues and cobblestone streets give visual record to its inheritance while housing an array of modern galleries, boutiques and cafes. Sumptuous sweet shops will tempt you with their cases brimming with colourful Turkish delight, marbled halva and geometric baklava; at night, historic passages clamour with patrons commanding trays of meze and bottles of raki while buskers on accordions and clarinets ll the air with their melancholic melodies. We highly recommend a read of Orhan Pamuk’s Istanbul, considered the uno¦cial memoir of the city, to fully prepare your senses for the delight that awaits you here, at the crossroads of history and world traditions. Enjoy! When to Go Istanbul’s climate is not easily categorised due to the city’s size, location, diverse topography and many coastlines. ere are several microclimates that fall somewhere between Mediterranean, humid subtropical and oceanic. Winter (December to February) in Istanbul is substantially colder than other cities in the Mediterranean region, with average temperatures dipping as low as 3°C (37°F). e weather in spring and autumn is milder, but can be wet and windy. Summer ( June to August) temperatures reach as high as 41°C (106°F), with an average high around 26°C (79°F). e most ideal times to visit are mid-May to the end of June and September to mid-October. e burgeoning design scene is reason enough to visit; here are a few events you might like to plan your trip around. Since 2013, ArtInternational has brought together e Istanbul Design Biennial was rst organised by the leading local and international galleries. An impressive Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts in 2012 with programme of exhibitions, events and forums complete the idea of promoting the importance of design and the week-long event held in September. culture for the economy. During the two-month period istanbulartinternational.com (October to December) the city comes alive with a series of curated exhibitions, design walks, seminars, lm e Istanbul International Architecture and Urban Films screenings and much more. Festival is part of the Architecture and Urban Festival istanbuldesignbiennial.iksv.org organised annually by the Chamber of Architects of Turkey. e week-long event starts with World Contemporary Istanbul is now in its ninth year, and is Architecture Day on the rst Monday of October. e the city’s rst international contemporary art fair. Close lms, as you can imagine, focus on the built environment. to 100 exhibitors from around the world showcase their arch lmfest.org work, plus there is a series of talks, conferences and VIP events over a period of four days in November. Istanbul Design Week will be celebrating ten years this contemporaryistanbul.com October. Over ve days a variety of venues play host to exhibitions, installations, conferences, workshops, panels and conferences. istanbuldesignweek.com 66 WANDERLUST / Istanbul Where to Stay 4Floors Istanbul Çukurcuma neighbourhood, which is known for its antique shops. e design of the building was inspired Tercuman Cikmazi 20, Tomtom Mahallesi, Karaköy, Beyoğlu / by the leader of the Arts & Crafts movement, William 4£oorsistanbul.com Morris, and includes many of his wallpaper designs As the name suggests, this boutique accomodation in the throughout. All the materials are natural, and use of creative neighbourhood (that used to be called Galata chemicals has been kept to a minimum. and sometimes still is) is laid out over four £oors, one apartment per £oor. Owner Sema Topaloğlu also happens to be a designer, so you know the spaces are tastefully House Hotels decorated. Furnished with a mix of her own designs, as Abdi İpekçi Caddesi 34, Harbiye Mahellesi, Nişantaşi, Şişli / thehousehotel.com well as pieces by a roster of international designers, the apartments are spacious with high ceilings and feature e House group of hotels, the same group as the House panoramic views of the Bosphorus. Cafe (see Where to Eat and Drink), has four di°erent locations, all unique. e Nişantaşi outpost is located in Four Seasons the middle of one of Istanbul’s chicest neighbourhoods, surrounded by high-end shopping and dining locations, Tevkifhane Sokak 1, 34122 Sultanahmet / fourseasons.com while the Karaköy outpost has its own in-house art is luxury chain actually has two locations in the city concierge. e group was founded by three friends, one where east meets west — one on the Bosphorus, one the brother of local design talent Seyhan Özdemir of in the old town of Sultanahmet — but the Sultanamet Autoban (see page 76), so it’s no surprise that Autoban has location is particularly special. Here you’ll nd 65 rooms designed several of the hotels and cafes. e group’s ethos housed in a charmingly restored, century-old neoclassical is a°ordable luxury, and they deliver this in spades. former prison. e hotel is only minutes’ walk from the most treasured architectural and religious relics — the Istanbul EDITION Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. Büyükdere Caddesi 136, Levent Mahellesi, Beşiktaş / editionhotels.com/istanbul Georges Eight years after NYC-based Gabellini Shepherd rst Serdar-I Ekrem Sokak 24, Müeyyedzade Mahallesi, Galata, designed it, the Istanbul EDITION hotel still looks as Beyoğlu / georges.com modern and fresh as ever. e modern tower is home to is small hotel is tucked away on a quiet lane, and on rst 78 guest rooms plus a luxurious full-£oor penthouse. Two entry you’ll feel you’ve walked into the most glamorous bar restaurants and a club, plus full spa, business centre and a in town. e building is historical, but the interiors have screening room round out the facilities. tastefully been brought into the 21st century. ere are 20 rooms in total, some of which have sea views. e ground SOHO House -£oor lobby/bar is also a restaurant, and management will Meşrutiyet Caddesi 56, Evliya Çelebi Mahallesi, Beyoğlu / be happy to organise in-room yoga sessions if you feel sohohouseistanbul.com the need. Located in the heart of Beyoğlu and spread across four impressive buildings, one of which was built in 1873 as the Heirloom home of a Genoese shipbuilder and later housed the US Adile Naşit Sokak (G-4 Sk.) 6, 34433, Kuloğlu Mahallesi, Embassy. e hotel has 87 rooms, all designed by CEO Cihangir / heirloomistanbul.com Nick Jones and in-house design director Vicky Charles, Heirloom, a relatively new boutique hotel of only ve rooms, whose inspiration was taken from the city and its mixed is eco-friendly and design-oriented. Housed in a ve- design traditions. Many of the furnishings were sourced storey Ottoman-era building that has been painstakingly from local craftsmen. On site are the members’ club, several renovated by husband-and-wife team Dilek Çamli and restaurants, Cowshed spa, gym, two rooftop pools and a Ender Sezgin, the hotel is located near the charming screening room. Top: e new Soho House in Beyoğlu Bottom: e EDITION Hotel 68 WANDERLUST / Istanbul WANDERLUST / Istanbul Where to Eat and drink 360Istanbul e House Cafe Mikla enough to dine here, so make a reservation and make sure you get a table by the window to see the sun setting behind this Istiklal Caddesi Misir Apt 163/8, Beyoğlu and others / Asmali Mescit 9/1–2 Beyoğlu and others / thehousecafe.com ¥e Marmara Pera Hotel, Meşrutiyet Caddesi 15, Asmali Mescit iconic landmark. Mahallesi, Beyoğlu / miklarestaurant.com 360istanbul.com e numerous and reliable House Cafes are scattered is award-winning bar, restaurant and club is situated in the throughout the city, with seven locations in total. e Tünel From the top £oor of the Marmara Pera Hotel, at almost Alancha’s modern interior provides penthouse of a 19th-century apartment building on Istiklal outpost in particular, situated in a century-old passage, any table (thanks to the mirror-lined walls) you will dine the perfect backdrop to its menu Caddesi, one of the city’s most popular thoroughfares.