Category: Infrastructure / Cultural
Type: Factory / Museum
Location: İstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi, Emniyettepe, Kazım Karabekir Ave. Eyüpsultan
Date: 1911-1914 / 2004-2007
Period: Ottoman Empire / Republic of Türkiye
Designer: Ganz / Nevzat Sayın, Emre Arolat, Han Tümertekin
Photos: Cemal Emden
The Santralistanbul Energy Museum, located in the Eyüpsultan district, is housed within the former Silahtarağa Electricity Station, which stood as the first urban-scale power plant of the Ottoman Empire. Constructed between 1911 and 1914 by the Ganz Electric Company, the plant powered Istanbul for nearly seven decades until its decommissioning in 1983. The site was later revitalized between 2004 and 2007 through a collaborative architectural project led by Nevzat Sayın, Emre Arolat, and Han Tümertekin, with Sayın primarily responsible for converting the massive engine rooms into an immersive museum space. The renovation highlights industrial archaeology by preserving the original turbine-generator sets and control rooms as centerpiece exhibits, blending historical engineering with modern cultural function. This preservation-focused approach was recognized internationally when the museum was honored with the European Museum Academy Special Award in 2012.
