Tall & Urban News

The Ziraat Bank Headquarters in Istanbul has topped out at 219 meters. The development in the new Istanbul International Financial Centre (IIFF) extends to more than 350,000 square meters and incorporates the bank’s headquarters with commercial office space, ground floor retail, and below grade parking.

The curving profile of the towers, viewed together with the podium, allude to a traditional Ottoman calligraphic signature, the Tughra. The office towers, which rise to 40 and 46 stories, include prayer rooms, naturally ventilated areas, and planted balcony break out spaces. Double-height atria create different working environments that encourage social interaction across floors.

A common entrance with an eight-story atrium is defined by the pebble-like form of the Ziraat Bank’s auditorium and conference center. Bridges cross the atrium at multiple levels, creating visual and physical links reinforcing the interconnection between the two towers through the podium.

On the tower façades, louvers of various sizes are used to allow high-levels of natural daylight while reducing glare and mitigating solar heat gain. In contrast to the simple treatment of the tower facades, the podium is designed with a rich pattern of flat arches and vertical fins.

Construction on the complex started in 2017 and is expected to complete by 2022.

For more on this story, go to Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.