Open Door Architecture Festival Received Great Attention

Open Door Architecture Festival Receives Great Attention!

Organized by the Arkitera Architecture Center, the Open Door Architecture Festival was brought to life this year with the support of Unigen. As part of the festival, tours were organized to allow participants to experience Istanbul’s cultural and architectural texture more closely.

Aiming to showcase Istanbul’s built heritage to the public and opening normally inaccessible buildings for visits during the event, the Open Door Architecture Festival was held this year from November 15–22, 2022.

During the festival, historical and architecturally significant buildings and spaces in Istanbul—normally either inaccessible or requiring special permission to visit—were opened to the public.

The festival, which received great interest, featured a total of 20 points open for visits: 4 walking routes (Moda, Yeldeğirmeni, Burgazada, and Büyükada) and 16 buildings. Participation came not only from Istanbul but also from outside the city, with nearly 500 people visiting the featured sites.

Among the buildings visited were Surp Pirgiç Armenian Hospital, Istanbul Erkek Lisesi, Mekteb-i Tıbbiye-i Şahane, Heybeliada Ruhban School, Maçka İnönü House, and Petek Pension—structures from different periods that hold significance for the city’s cultural heritage.

The tour program was enriched by presentations from Arif Atılgan, Fatih Artvinli, Nezih Başgelen, Serkan Ennaç, Korhan Gümüş, Efsun Ekenyazıcı Güney, Doğu Kaptan, Hande Tulum Okur, Derya Tolgay, and Yavuz Pilevneli.

The buildings and routes opened for visits during the festival were as follows: