Hotel Lamartin, Inspired by the History of Istanbul - Hotel Lamartin Taksim

Project: Hotel Lamartin
Architects: Designist
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Area: 10,763 sq ft
Year: 2021
Photography: Kadir Asnaz Photography

Hotel Lamartin by Designist

Inspired by the history and culture of Istanbul, Designist aimed to create a calm and serene atmosphere using organic and soft forms in Hotel Lamartin Taksim.

Located in the Taksim-Talimhan district, Hotel Lamartin was renovated by Designist under the guidance of Asly Arikan Dayaoglu. The hotel was named after poet Alphonse de Lamartine, who gave the name to the street where the hotel is located, lived in Istanbul in the 19th century, and wrote numerous works about the city. The apartments originally belonged to one of Istanbul's old sound artists, 'The Mermaid' Eftaliye. The lute figure on the building's entrance door, whose real name is Shen Apartments, located opposite Bilur Apartments and owned by Eftaliye, became one of the most noticeable elements of the building. The architect of the buildings was Arif Hikmet Koyunoglu, who was an architect of the Ethnographic Museum and Turkish Kitchen in Ankara, as well as a master of painting, sculpture, and decorative works. This historic-cultural context and the history of two artists became the most important starting points that determined Designist's interior design project.

The two buildings are united by the concept of an amorphous wall created in the middle. The hotel structure houses the reception desk, relaxation areas, offices and lobby bar on the first floor, rooms are located on upper floors, and breakfast is held in the basement.

Inspired by Eftaliye, who sings at night by the shores of the Bosphorus and whose echo resounds throughout the strait, Designist abstracted the movements of wave musical tones into the hotel interiors. The strong impact of these waves is felt on the lobby ceiling, special carved natural stones were used on the floor. All walls are made in rounded forms without angles. The sharp effect of the wall with the elevator and staircase was destroyed using dark mirrors and their reflections. On a part of the mirror-covered wall, natural stone tiles of amorphous shape inspired by Bosphorus silhouettes were included. The calm and serene atmosphere was created through the use of neutral colors in Hotel Lamartin, where organic forms dominate overall.

Designist used light colors, open shelving and bathroom systems to make the rooms feel more spacious and bright. Works of female silhouettes are displayed on the walls, evoking memories of Eftaliye, 'The Mermaid', with plaques and photographs of Eftaliye. Patterns referencing sound waves are used on wallpapers. The use of large ceramic tiles in high humidity areas reduces the number of joints, and transparent glass material with light-transmitting capability is used as a divider.

To emphasize the continuity of the spiral staircase leading between floors, a contrasting color stripe was painted on the stairwell walls. The spiral staircase leading to breakfast in the basement is accompanied by dark and bright venere wood on the wall. The breakfast hall features red and cream tones, while hand-painted ceramic items are used on the floor. Large ceramic tiles with natural patterns were applied in the breakfast hall's bathrooms.

Hotel Lamartin, where history and culture form the infrastructure of interior design as context, was created to become a calm and serene urban hotel inspired by the stories of a poet who fell in love with Istanbul, and a woman who left her signature on good times in Istanbul through her refined voice.

- Project description and photos provided by Designist