The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced the latest renovation and expansion of the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) in Istanbul. The Atatürk Cultural Center will house the new Istanbul Opera House, designed to serve as a multi-venue performing arts center with a 2,500-seat capacity. While the Istanbul Opera House will be the main structure of the Atatürk Cultural Center, the center will also offer venues for cinema and theater, as well as exhibition halls, art galleries, study and meeting rooms, cafes and restaurants.
The renovation of the Atatürk Cultural Center is being overseen by chief architect Murat Tabanlioglu, whose international projects include Dubai Design District, Qatar RFS Tower in Doha, New National Stadium Japan, Marrakech Congress Center and Hotel Rixos Libertas in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Notable domestic projects include Istanbul Modern, Bodrum Milas International Airport and Four Seasons Alacati.
The current renovation will be the third iteration of the Atatürk Cultural Center. Murat Tabanlioglu is aiming to uphold the dimensions and significant façade of the original 1960s design, while updating the technology and upholstery to reflect the technical advancements of the 21st century.
“We are proud to have the renovation of the Atatürk Cultural Center and Istanbul Opera House. For hundreds of years, Turkey has been a bridging point between Eastern and Western cultures, cultivating a rich and dynamic arts and music scene,” stated The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey. “The redesigned center and opera house will bring this celebrated history into the 21st Century, and the innovative architecture will establish the Atatürk Cultural Center and Istanbul Opera House as a continued emblem of Turkish culture, art and heritage.”
The renovation will bring an aesthetic update to the center and opera house, reflecting Istanbul’s fusion of Eastern and Western cultures in addition to updating the building’s technical components and structural reinforcement. The current one-building center will be transformed into a large complex with a total enclosed area of over 1,105,800 square-feet.
The project started with the construction of five culture blocks in the adjacent Taksim Square. The completed complex will consist of three halls with a total capacity of 3,737 people. A restaurant atop of the main spherical opera house structure will offer a panoramic view of the Bosporus Strait, the natural water barrier between Asia and Europe that Istanbul is built around.
The Atatürk Cultural Center is set to be completed in 2019 and unveiled as a new architectural icon of Istanbul and Europe. The center and Istanbul Opera House will be a micro-chasm of Istanbul itself, a central hub celebrating Turkey’s rich history while bolstering modern hi-tech capabilities for locals and visitors alike.
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