Type: Educational
Year: 2023
Size: 425 m²
Location: Uskudar, Istanbul
Client: Sabancı Institute of Advanced Handicrafts
Team: Yasemin D. Karaca, Asude A. Yılmaz, Rabia Dokumacı, Esra Gözükara, Gülnihal Veli
Status: Completed
Photos: Çağla Kaplan, Beyza Aşıkkutlu

The Sabancı Institute of Advanced Fashion Studies brings together education, production, and exhibition within a historic building, preserving its identity while introducing contemporary layers of use.

Key architectural elements such as high ceilings, patterned tile floors, and deep wall niches shaped the design strategy. The niches were reinterpreted as functional and aesthetic display or storage areas, preserving the spatial memory while adapting it for new purposes.

The furniture was intentionally designed in a modern and minimalist language, creating a deliberate contrast with the historical fabric of the building. Brass details, modular elements, and refined lighting emphasize this contrast, fostering a dialogue between past and present.

At the entrance level, the reception room was given a more formal and representative character, inspired by its richly decorated wall surfaces. This design decision enhances the sense of institutional identity and prestige, while the classrooms and ateliers are arranged with a more flexible and productive layout.

With its program that includes classrooms, ateliers, offices, an exhibition hall, a café, and a concept store, the institute functions not only as an educational building but also as a vibrant center of production and cultural exchange.