ELEGANT MIX OF TURKISH HOSPITALITY AND EUROPEAN STYLE The Marmara Hotels and Residences are comprised of sophisticated lodgings that are known for their delicate balance of style, with The Marmara Şişli, a deluxe four-star hotel that is located in Mecidiyeköy, being their example of vintage-inspired modern flair meets industry. Divided the façade into three sections, making the high-rise building an attractive feature of the cityscape. Spread over eleven floors with eight rooms per floor, the new Marmara Şişli offers three types of accommodation: Candy rooms, Capsule rooms and Wagon rooms. All bedrooms feature Autoban's usual raw and contrasting materials, the ceilings bearing bold motifs on concrete. Taking cues from the Japanese-style capsule hotels, Autoban designed 6,5 m2 rooms for the mezzanine floor. These compact rooms are ideal for the lone traveler, and increase the hotel’s capacity to 104. To turn the lobby into a lively public area, an all-concrete bar is placed near the main entrance and the reception desk is unusually situated at a rather rear location. The overall result is 50's modernist. ...Collapse

WORDS FROM THE DESIGNERS Q: The penthouse suites of the hotel have all been designed as train compartments with a narrow hall and cozy bed with a TV at the foot. Can you talk about the decision to go in this direction? A: These rooms are designed for the people who may have a crowded staff or who do a lot of traveling on a limited budget. With these needs in mind, the layout was divided into smaller sections. These small but comfortable rooms have an attractive advantage: the beautiful Istanbul view. Q: I see a lot of vintage flair in the rooms with the 1950ʼs inspired furnishings and colors. How did the team handle the merging of this vintage feel with a contemporary modern touch? Was this to be reflected mainly in the furnishing style or the color palette as well? A: The parameters that we considered while designing the hotel and it's components, is the feel of reality and present time; cost, target group and the touches of Istanbul's past were also considerations. The building was renovated not rebuilt, and we started by peeling the building walls, a method that is inspired by the architectural movement of “brutalism”. We chose furniture that had a taste of Istanbul. The whole interior and façade was finished by merging these elements together in order to give a new experience to the hotel's clients and guests. Q: Aside from the amazing views of the city, some other highlights in the square rooms include long wooden shutters and TV sets mounted to a stainless steel pole rather than set on a console or armoire. What was the influence for that decision? Was it a reference to a traveling career oriented lifestyle or more about keeping things clean, uncluttered, and unique? A: People who travel a lot know how hard of a task it is to feel at home in a hotel room. The clean and uncluttered environment was planned to provide a practical place to put your staff and for them to gather easily without missing anything that may lie behind the closed cabinets. These wooden shutters were commonly used in the old Istanbul houses. Because this is a temporary space for the hotel's clients, we created a warm feeling, but still kept it practical and easy to use! Q: Letʼs talk about the ceilings in the square rooms. They look like raw beams with a mural of sorts overlaid in white paint. The light fixtures are interesting too. Can you talk about the treatment for your ceilings? Were you going for a loft-type feel? A: Letʼs say that the rooms have a loft-type feel but don't follow a particular trend. The initial story and concept that we created in the beginning was our main focus. Q: I love the sinks in the Nano rooms with the simple chrome fixtures! Did you work with local vendors for your components or were these shipped in from elsewhere? A: We got them from a well-known local brand called Vitra. They put their products into production as we need them, but not for this particular model. Q: As with the furnishings and fixtures, the walls are also simple and uncluttered, I donʼt see a lot of art on the walls. Was the focus to keep a clean, unified look throughout the hotel? A: Both material and forms were chosen with the public in mind and their many varying tastes. For this reason, we kept the decorative elements as simple as possible. Q: Your lobby lounge at the entrance of the hotel serves as the hotelʼs dining area and the offerings are a mix of international and Turkish cuisine that maintain a 1950ʼs modernized flair. Is this also reflected in the choice of tabletop for this area? A: We wanted an unconventional lobby with a different organization for the restaurant and the reception area, but we wanted the ambiance to be striking with the pipes and concrete bars. To turn the lobby into a lively public area, a concrete bar was placed near the main entrance and was surrounded by the1950s-style tables and armchairs. As a result, the welcoming entrance exudes warmth and is reminiscent of a local pub atmosphere. All of this puts a new spin on the ordinary meeting room and hotel reception room. ...Collapse

The seating units are designed by the influence of 1950s modernist approach which is also taking some touches of old Istanbul items. As material selection, solid oak, velvet is generally used for the armchairs and chairs. There are also chairs which have painted metal parts as well as totally metal Emeco bar chairs. For tables in lobby, the oak veneered surfaces are used. Other tables in restaurant part are made of solid rough-look walnut. Beds in rooms are designed with simplistic and elegant style. The ones in wagon rooms are like railway compartment. The most important piece is the concrete bar in the lobby. Autoban designed a special mold and make concrete casting. ...Collapse

In Lobby, two Autoban pendant light “Big” which is made of plywood-birch, is placed. The LED lights are highlighted metal pipes which beautifully decorates the walls in entrance hall. As a general concept, Autoban designed a lighting system which is creating a different ambiance along the day. All the lights on ceiling are adjustable for the functional purposes in terms of angle and brightness. In Candy rooms, by the inspiration of brutalism, the pipes of electric lines are not hided and integrated with the concrete of ceiling. ...Collapse