Ayse Birsel On Istanbul's Best Design Secrets
The award-winning designer walks us through her favorite destinations in this city of contrasts.
What's your favorite design city, and why?
Istanbul is an incredible place--I've never seen any place like it. It's so full of contrasts, and as a designer, I'm really interested in dichotomy. There's a combination of old and new, beautiful and ugly, Asian and European, Muslim and secular. You name it. It's very clean and very dirty; very organized and incredibly chaotic. But most of all, it's incredibly beautiful. Istanbul sits on seven hills and on two sides of the Bosphorus. You're in Europe one moment and in Asia the other. Centuries-old architecture is intermixed with modern architecture. And it's full of surprises--even for people who have lived in Istanbul forever. In the recent years, a lot more designers have taken notice. There are more and more art and design events happening in Istanbul.
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