Istanbul Sapphire

Istanbul Sapphire

A view of the tower from Büyükdere Avenue
General information
Status Complete
Type Residential
Location Büyükdere Avenue, Levent, Istanbul, Turkey
Coordinates 41°5′6.28″N 29°0′21.96″E / 41.0850778°N 29.0061000°E / 41.0850778; 29.0061000Coordinates: 41°5′6.28″N 29°0′21.96″E / 41.0850778°N 29.0061000°E / 41.0850778; 29.0061000
Opening 4 March 2011[1]
Cost US$150,000,000
Height
Antenna spire 261 m (856 ft)
Roof 238 m (781 ft)
Technical details
Floor count 54 (above ground)
10 (below ground)
64 (total)
Design and construction
Architect Tabanlıoğlu Architects
Developer Kiler GYO
References
[2]

Istanbul Sapphire, or Sapphire, is a skyscraper, and as of 2016, the tallest building in Istanbul and Turkey, located in the central business district of Levent. Istanbul Sapphire was the 4th tallest building in Europe when its construction was completed in 2010.[2] It is the country's first ecological skyscraper. Sapphire rises 54 floors above ground level, and boasts an above-ground roof height of 238 meters: the building has an overall structural height of 261 meters including its spire, which is part of the design and not a radio antenna.[2] Designed by Tabanlıoğlu Architects, it is a shopping and luxury residence mixed-use development managed by Kiler GYO.[2]

Location

It is conveniently located close to the TEM and O1 main road arteries and to the Bosphorus and F.S.M. bridges. The building has direct access to the 4. Levent subway station from its 3rd basement floor, and is situated on Büyükdere Avenue, one of Istanbul's main thoroughways, in the middle of the city's central Beşiktaş and Şişli districts, and in close proximity to the quarter of Etiler.

History and architecture

A view of Levent business district from the observation deck of Istanbul Sapphire
Elevator screen of Istanbul Sapphire

Istanbul Sapphire was designed by Tabanlıoğlu Architects as a high-tech structure which consists of 64 floors (54 above-ground and 10 basement floors), communal living floors, extensive parking spaces, a large shopping mall, and 47 floors for residential use.[2]

There are special floors with private gardens between every 3 floors, and every 9 floors are separated from each other by a communal living area or mechanical floors.[2] Design of the gardens are proposed with a number of alternatives and the consistency of garden maintenance is under the residence management company’s responsibility.

Sapphire is the first ecological building of Turkey, having two special glass shells which can take the outside air naturally by holes located at every 3 floors. Thanks to this system, the inhabitants of the building will not be affected by the negative weather conditions and external urban noise, in addition to providing a buffer with the outside atmosphere and the internal facilities. Absorption of the sunlight and ultraviolet beams will be ensured by a special curtain system that's automatically controlled through a computer, depending on the season, day and hour.

Turkey's deepest excavated construction pit

The foundation pit excavated for the project – 42.5 meters deep – is the deepest foundation pit excavated for any structure in Turkey.

Construction work

Construction of the project began in 2006 and was completed in 2010.[2] The building's official opening ceremony took place on 4 March 2011.[1]

The project is built on a land plot of 11,339 m2 and has an overall total construction area of 157,800 m2, which includes a 35,000 m2 shopping mall.

Companies

The companies involved in the development and construction of the project have included thus far:

See also

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Istanbul Sapphire.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, April 08, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.