Category: Commercial
Type: Store
Location: Caddebostan, Bağdat Ave. Kadıköy
Date: 2016-2021
Designer: Norman Foster
Period: Republic of Türkiye
Photos: Apple (apple.com/tr)
Designed as a “green pocket” within Istanbul’s dense commercial fabric on Bağdat Avenue, Apple’s flagship store exemplifies a contemporary architectural response to the city’s challenging topography by utilizing a 4.8-meter slope to create a dual-level structure that remains elegantly unobtrusive at street level. Situated in one of Istanbul’s most prominent historical shopping districts, the project revitalizes the urban experience through a tree-lined public plaza and an expansive, 11-meter glass curtain wall that blurs the threshold between the travertine-clad interior and a secluded, hedge-enclosed pocket park. By synthesizing warm, traditional materials with modern sustainable engineering—such as a floating roof, natural ventilation skylights, and integrated rainwater harvesting—the building serves as a sophisticated modern landmark that balances high-tech retail functionality with a sensitive, nature-oriented contribution to the city’s evolving architectural heritage.
