Category: Residential
Type: Hotel
Location: Rüstem Paşa, Ordu Ave. Fatih
Date: 1919-1922
Designer: Kemaleddin Bey
Period: Ottoman Empire
Photos: Crowne Plaza İstanbul Old City (cpoldcity.com/tr)
The Tayyare Apartments, currently operating as the Crowne Plaza Istanbul Old City, represent a significant milestone in Turkish urban history as the first reinforced concrete housing complex in Istanbul. Designed by the renowned architect Mimar Kemaleddin and constructed between 1919 and 1922, the structure was originally commissioned to provide social housing for those displaced by the 1918 Great Fire in the Laleli district, earning it the name Harikzedegan Apartments. As a quintessential example of the First National Architectural Movement, the complex masterfully blends modern European structural techniques with traditional Ottoman aesthetic motifs, featuring pointed arches, symmetrical facades, and organized courtyards. Today, it remains a landmark of the Fatih district, standing as a testament to the transition from traditional residential forms to modern, large-scale apartment living while maintaining a deep connection to the city’s historical fabric.
