The late-19th-century mansion of a famous Jewish trading family in Galata, the city's burgeoning artsy-bohemian neighborhood, emerged in April as the contemporary 47-room hotel Adahan Istanbul. Salvaged original details, such as trompe l'oeil murals and elaborate ceilings, stand out from the otherwise minimalist modern decor (streamlined wood furniture; cotton fabrics in earth tones). The rooftop restaurant serves up seasonal Turkish cuisine and great views of Galata, the Golden Horn, and Old Constantinople; the downstairs Baylo Bistro & Bar is worth a drop in after dark.
(Photo courtesy of Adahan Istanbul)
In 2011, art institution SALT transformed the former headquarters of the Ottoman Imperial Bank into an exhibition and archive space for emerging regional artists. The monumental building, designed by French architect Alexandre Vallaury in the 18th century, has a unique facade that's apropos, given the area's history: It's neoclassical on one side and oriental on the other. The revamped interior includes Ca'd'Oro restaurant, which serves a dreamy Mediterranean menu from local food impresarios Istanbul Doors.
(Photo by Iwan Bann)
Trailblazers of the boutique-hostel concept in Istanbul, the team at #Bunk have done sterling work converting a private Pera townhouse into a classy hostel that's rousing to the eye and easy on the wallet. A snow-white bunk in a four-person room (marble tile on the floor, decorative motifs on the ceiling, heated towel racks in the shared bathroom) starts at just €17. En-suite doubles are available, too. Shoehorned onto a tiny terrace at the top of the building is a small heated pool and a couple of deckchairs where guests can watch the city lights surge. Backpacking has never been so glam.
(Photo courtesy of #Bunk)
Contemporary art shows have taken the place of giant mechanical dynamos in what was once a decaying coal-fired Ottoman power station—the Empire's first—located at the end of the Golden Horn, on the campus of Bilgi University. Well worth the 20-minute taxi ride from the city center, the Santral Istanbul complex houses a massive exhibition space in the main building of the former plant, while a pizzeria, nightclub, and bookshop have moved into its peripheral structures. Don't miss the fascinatingly beautiful old machinery that's now shown in the adjacent Energy Museum.
Renowned Istanbul design group Autoban came to the rescue of this ailing 19th-century seaside mansion known as a Yah, converting the debilitated building into a delectable third branch of The House Hotel. Sitting on what might be one of Istanbul's most striking locations in the former fishing village of Ortaköy, 16 of its 26 rooms have full or partial views of the Bosphorus and its tremendous suspension bridge. Inside the hotel, late Ottoman wall and ceiling moldings have been preserved to blend with the beiges and browns of Autoban's more modern design choices.
A one-time bakery in the Taksim district, near the Balik Pazari fish market, this large industrial building underwent a drastic change of identity a few years back, turning into Ghetto, one of Istanbul's most popular venues for world music and especially jazz, having hosted Harold Lopez Nussa, Talvin Singh, and Echo and the Bunnymen. A gut renovation converted the split-level building, with 33-foot ceilings and murals adorning its walls, into a just-big-enough space ready to accommodate a lively dance floor, bar, and quieter dining area upstairs. Currently undergoing a further nip and tuck, expect to see the place refreshed for a new season at the end of the summer.
Like Botox to the Bosphorous, artists, hoteliers, and nighthawks are breathing new life into formerly dilapidated buildings around the city.