Renovated Apartment in Nisantasi Sehhanli by Baysan Mert Architects

Project: Nisantasi Sehhanli Apartments
Architects: Baysan Mert Architecture
Location: Nisantasi, Istanbul, Turkey
Area: 3,078 sq ft (plot), 24,121 sq ft (building)
Photography: Madjo Studio

Nisantasi Sehhanli Apartments by Baysan Mert Architecture

The renovation is part of the urban development project in Nisantasi, Istanbul. The Sehhanli Apartments were designed by Baysan Mert Architecture with a modern and practical approach compared to typical regional solutions.

The Sehhanli Apartments, located on Husrev Gerede Street in Nisantasi, Istanbul, are part of a neighboring building that was renovated as part of the urban development. The building has 16 independent apartments with a total area of 286 square meters and a usable space of 2,241 square meters. Fourteen apartments are residential while two are used for commercial purposes. The semi-basement floors, especially their sloped sections on the slippery Husrev Gerede Street, are perceived as basements. During renovation, the semi-basement and first floors were moved two meters outward, eliminating the basement completely. A similar 70-centimeter setback of the façade on two floors facing the rear street also removed the basement effect. These floors were equipped with large windows to provide additional natural light.

In the style of neighboring buildings, widely prevalent in the area, two apartments are located on each floor: one facing Husrev Gerede Street and another facing the rear street. In this style, the issue of long depth is resolved by long corridors and dark 'light shafts,' which are inconvenient and result in lost usable space. The rear part of buildings in the area, especially where the Sehhanli Apartments are located, opens onto a beautiful street, and upper floors even offer panoramic sea views. Initially, two solutions were presented to the client for addressing long depth issues. The first was traditional dual-sided apartments with long corridors. In this solution, space loss was minimized by integrating the light shaft with the stairwell.

In the second, preferred solution, two apartments were placed on each floor, one on each side of the building. A light shaft was created in the stairwell and used as a ventilation duct, allowing even the first apartment to receive natural light from above. As a result, in terms of ventilation, the apartments functioned as dual-sided, eliminating space loss and dark zones. The end result was two 120-square-meter apartments on each level of the building, with a total area of 286 square meters. Analysis of resident profiles in this region led to the transformation of kitchens into kitchen alcoves. Considering the importance of wardrobe spaces in residential solutions, each apartment was equipped with built-in wardrobes 12 meters long. Finally, a central dust removal system was installed to combat urban health issues, especially allergies.

-Project description and images provided by Baysan Mert Architecture