Mandarin Oriental Etiler slated for 2022
FM Architettura has partnered with developers Astas and Yapi & Yapi to conceive the interior design scheme for Mandarin Oriental Etiler, a 158-key hotel scheduled to open in Istanbul in 2022.
Forming part of a three-tower development that also comprises 16 serviced apartments and 251 private residences – all connected by a terraced pedestal with amenities, boutiques and views of the Bosphorus – the property takes cues from an imaginary journey along the Silk Road, with FM Architettura evoking a garden of stolen roses – in homage to how the flowers were secretly transported and traded – across more than 10,000m2 of fully bespoke interiors.
“The developers came up with the initial concept,” says FM Architettura’s founder, Francesca Muzio. “Strong of their extensive experience in the hospitality sector in Istanbul and all over Turkey, they have pushed the design teams to create an urban oasis.”
“The strong relationship between the three buildings and the green is, without any doubt, one of the main drivers of the project and one of the main aims of the developers,” Muzio continues. “We have, of course, been inspired by the contemporary shapes used in the towers’ architecture. Astas and Yapi&Yapi strongly pushed the exterior architecture to be developed with a contemporary organic shape.”
Another key point of reference for the project was caravanserais, or roadside buildings that sheltered merchants and kept them safe from highwaymen when traversing the ancient route. FM Architettura’s aim was to create a modern caravanserai for like-minded travellers to exchange ideas, entertain conversations and trades. As such, the practice researched patterns, symbols and elements from years gone by, before applying its own version of the Cintamani pattern – worn by Sultans of the Ottoman Empire to protect them with physical grit and spiritual fortitude – to furniture and walls as a good blessing for the building.
“Traditionally, Istanbul was the gateway between Europe and the Middle East, representing the last stop of the Silk Road,” adds Muzio. “It felt natural to draw inspiration from the network that connected this array of cultures.”
“We used the tactility of precious fabrics, the radiance of brushed brass, and the smell of scented woods to trigger emotion,” Muzio adds.
From the guestrooms to the lobby, cinema and spa, the design also acts as a contemporary interpretation of Turkish heritage and all its influences, with FM Architettura paying tribute to the exterior architecture’s modern style by way of custom-made furniture with fluid lines.
