Projects & Buildings
Architect | Dr. M. Sinan Genim |
Assistants | Nesrin Küçükbayrak / Nesrin Taşkın |
Employer | Narmanlı / Bilimer |
Static Project | Attila Çaydamlı |
Mechanic | Halil Oğut |
Electricity | Erol Çığırgan |
Purpose | Commercial Center |
Project Year | 1978-1979 |
Construction Year | 1994 |
Land Area | 10.000 m² |
Construction Area | 5.609 m² |
The French Passage, once the “Cite Francaise”, situated on the line joining the shore and Kireçkapı, which is on the Bosphorous side of Galata, encircled by fortification walls, was restorated according to its original plan. It used to function as a place where French sailors and merchants would meet. Today it is reborn as “Karaköy Electronic Center 2000”, to gather the Russian merchants with Turkish industrialists and salesmen as a synthesis of 1800's and 2000's. The original building had three floors. Three modern office floors covered with glass were added. Despite of all the dark buildings in the vicinity a bright color would make the people happy. So the facade of the historical building was painted orange, not a very common color in business centers. Instead of tiles, colorful prefabricated material made of concrete was used for the new pavement of the gateway. The pattern design on the new pavement is a modern and genuine interpretation of traditional Turkish tile patterns. The color of the material is in harmony with the color of the architecture. The hand organ and apliques used at the outer space are concordant with the original iron cast doors of the gateway. French Passage Commercial Center is built on a construction area of 10.000 m². There are 118 shops and stores in different sizes ranging from 60 m² to 620 m².