Karaköy Güllüoğlu Baklavacısı, one of Turkey’s well-established brands, has decided to relocate its shop from a multistory parking lot, which faced demolition in 2020, to another building in Karaköy in line with its renewed corporate identity. The new address is the Health Building, located approximately 80 meters from the Güllüoğlu production facility building. The Health… View Article
Karaköy Güllüoğlu Baklavacısı, one of Turkey’s well-established brands, has decided to relocate its shop from a multistory parking lot, which faced demolition in 2020, to another building in Karaköy in line with its renewed corporate identity. The new address is the Health Building, located approximately 80 meters from the Güllüoğlu production facility building.
The Health Building is situated in one of the narrow and long warehouse parcels in Karaköy port. Although its exact historical date is unknown, it can be traced back to the early 20th century through Pervititich maps. The building consists of a modernist reinforced concrete structure facing Kemankeş Avenue at the front and an old warehouse building extending to the rear boundary of the parcel.
The main idea of the project is to create a unified space by opening the ground floor entered from the street to the roof terrace two floors above. A single-flight staircase that brings daylight from the roof to the ground floor connects the ground and roof spaces. The wooden roof covering the entire top of the rear warehouse structure is repaired and left exposed. The upper floor, featuring a sea and courtyard view and housing a show kitchen and workshops, stretches beneath this wooden roof’s trusses. Meanwhile, the staircase, serving as a connecting element, barely passes by the first floor, except for a small landing. The floor largely allocated for administration and staff use includes service areas, technical rooms, and guest toilets.
The building incorporates a ground floor layout reminiscent of passages that are part of the daily life and architectural character of the Karaköy region. Together with the large courtyard in the rear, a narrow and long passage emerges between two streets. Atypical arches break the uniform perspective of this baklava passage, creating a dynamic space. The building, exceeding 40 meters in depth, is tiered to obtain lower spaces. Simultaneously, a comprehensive interpretation is given to the structural system of the two different structures that has been altered over time through renovations and reinforcements. The service counter leaning on the right side of the building, serving the passage, is scaled with reference dimensions such as plates, baklava trays, packages, and service carts.
Another element enriching the spatial perception on the ground floor is a full-length mirror. The compressed atmosphere of the narrow and long volume expands in the reflections where the arches extend infinitely. Just below the mirror, hidden within the wooden surface that starts at column height, are foldable seating elements. Designed considering the intensive use and circulation in the space, the furniture increases the capacity in the confined area. Wood and marble, forming a distant and contrasting relationship along the ground floor, come together on the worn steps of the stairs in an alternative seating area.