Architecture News Plus (ANP) – Architecture and Design Magazine

One & Ortakoy

This is a project by GAD and it is located at Ortakoy, Istanbul, Turkey. Project's program: Mixed-use project of residences and shopping center. There are fifteen images for One & Ortakoy.

: © GAD

Project details

Project name: One & Ortakoy
Location: Ortakoy, Istanbul, Turkey
Program: Mixed-use project of residences and shopping center
Area: Site Area: 12,000 m2 • Built-up Area: 56,000 m2
Year: Completion: 2010
Client: Doğu İnşaat • Mehmet Uyanoğlu
Project by: GAD
Team: Principal Designer: Gökhan Avcıoğlu • Design Team: Baris Ucar, Ozan Ertug, Tahsin İnanici, Trafo Mimarlık
Others: Contractor: Doğu İnşaat, Mehmet Uyanoğlu

Project images

Designer's statement

One & Ortakoy is a mixed use complex in the Istanbul neighborhood of Ortakoy. The project consists of two buildings — one building is residential and the second is commercial. Nestled next to a hillside, the project will be an iconic step forward in the modernization of the area.

The project’s form, facade and overall organization were developed through a series of experimental strategies influenced by contextual elements. GAD’s design solution optimizes the use of the various programs distributed throughout the site. The roofs on both buildings are intended to be landscaped recreational playgrounds. These green roofs lessen the scale of the buildings, merging them with the existing topography. As well, the natural stone facade that wrap both buildings provides a soft skin blending with the natural hillside setting. The One & Ortakoy roof terrace plays a significant role in the perception of the building, as the roof is immediately visible upon approaching the building, in large part due to the project’s proximity to the Bosphorous Bridge. Thus, the roof terrace is a dominant element, and is designed with this in mind. Conceived of as a green recreational level, the roof terrace includes a running track, swimming pool and extensive gardens. While the roof element serves a purpose to complete the building’s form, the green roof also presents a smart approach to for covering large reflective surfaces with vegetation, and therefore reduces carbon emissions for the building.

The landscape design for the roof makes use of a constructed artificial topography, inspired by the natural topography surrounding the building.

One & Ortakoy distinguishes itself from the neighborhood, setting the project apart from other buildings in the neighborhood. This is achieved, not only through the massing itself, but also by its relationship to the natural environment surrounding it. In essence, the building performs as a living organism, evolving from basement to roof terrace. Conceptually, the roof design serves to integrate the building with Ortaköy by dissolving into it, integrating duplex garden units in the basement and ground level with vertical gardens in the intermediate levels.

Therefore, it is the ambition and success of this project to be highly respectful of its natural surroundings, and to respond appropriately to the necessity for a sustainable design.