An Architectural Masterpiece in Galata: Sanatorium Gallery Marries Historical Authenticity and Modern Boldness

Introduction: Beyoğlu… Where Art Becomes the Universal Language

In the historic Galata neighborhood of Beyoğlu, where the echoes of Istanbul’s Ottoman past blend with the pulses of its rapid modernization, the Sanatorium Art Gallery stands as a testament to a unique architectural dialogue. Designed by Nevzat Sayın of Nevzat Sayın Mimarlık Hizmetleri (NSMH), this structure is not merely a space for exhibiting art; it has itself become a piece of conversational art, enriching the cultural scene of a city hosting its eighteenth biennial.

Location and Context: A Dialogue Between Industrial Past and Artistic Present

The new five-story building occupies a strategic position at the intersection of narrow, winding streets in Galata, a district that was once a bustling port and is now a hub of creativity. The design maintains a dialogue with its immediate surroundings, where workshops and small manufacturing facilities linked to the shipping industry line the streets, creating an unexpected blend of traditional industrial ambiance and the energy of a contemporary art scene. This location makes the gallery a bridge between the multiple historical layers of the neighborhood.

The Façade: A Metallic Veil Narrating a Story of Light and Material

The façade, fully clad in reddish-brown perforated steel, appears as a massive sculptural block. However, it is divided into four horizontal segments that gradually widen outward, creating a sense of movement and dynamism.
These perforations transform the façade into a living “metal filigree,” where the shifting shadow lines cast by the sun’s movement create a visual drama throughout the day. This play of light is deepened by the ripples in the metal cladding of the upper three floors, which catch the light from different angles, imbuing the building with a vibrant character.

At night, the building transforms into a luminous mass from within, with a red glow emanating through the perforations, turning the façade into a massive lantern announcing its presence in the alleyways of the historic district.

Historical Inspiration: A Subtle Dialogue with Arap Camii

The choice of the reddish-brown, rusty color for the façade is not arbitrary; it is a profound nod to the historical vicinity. Just a few hundred feet away stands the Arap Camii (The Arab Mosque), a witness to Istanbul’s multicultural history. Originally a 14th-century Gothic Catholic cathedral and later converted into a mosque, it features a wooden ceiling with shallow beams stained a dark red.
Here, the designers’ brilliance shines through in weaving a visual dialogue with the historical landmark, as the rusty hue of the gallery’s façade reflects the same color characterizing the mosque’s ceiling, creating a visual and historical connection between the contemporary building and its historic neighbor.

The Interior Experience: Insulated Worlds Focused on the Artwork

Inside the building, the experience is entirely different from the bustling neighborhood outside. The architects designed spaces that are visually and acoustically insulated from the exterior to maintain full focus on the artworks.
Natural light filters into the interior, softened by the narrow windows hidden behind the perforated façade, creating a carefully controlled, museum-like atmosphere. The curved, shell-like ceilings, with their upward-facing lighting, emphasize the grain of the plaster curves and diffuse a soft, indirect light throughout the exhibition space.

Functional Distribution: Flexibility and Diverse Activities

The 6,500-square-foot interior spaces are distributed vertically with precise planning:

· Two floors are dedicated to permanent and ongoing exhibitions.
· Two flexible floors are designed to accommodate larger collective shows, video installations, or site-specific artworks.
· The top floor houses administrative offices and a small terrace, hidden from the street by the same metallic veil, providing a private area for staff and special guests.

The Inauguration: ‘Desert Hyacinth’ and the Metaphor of Growth in Harsh Conditions

Coinciding with the launch of the Istanbul Biennial, the gallery opened with its inaugural exhibition, “Desert Hyacinth,” by the artist Al Qassimi, a Guggenheim Fellow. The artwork, which explores themes of beauty and growth in harsh conditions, served as an unintentional yet profoundly accurate metaphor for the gallery’s own journey. Just as the desert hyacinth grows in arid environments despite the harsh conditions, this cultural edifice grows in Galata, preserving its identity while challenging the transformations of its surroundings.

✦ Archup Editorial Insight

The article examines the Sanatorium Gallery project in Istanbul’s Galata district, focusing on its design approach to create a dialogue between the historical and modern context. It is noted that the sharp isolation of the enclosed interior space from the vibrant external urban life may separate the visitor’s experience from the feeling of the site’s dynamic context. The relationship between the monolithic exterior and the narrow, winding streets lacks a planning response that would break the façade’s rigidity and create more fluid visual intersections with pedestrian movement. The near-total reliance on artificial lighting on most floors raises questions about long-term energy consumption efficiency. From a functional perspective, the vertical stacking of spaces and the distribution of activities provide a practical solution for the required program within a limited plot size.

Brought to you by the ArchUp Editorial Team

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