From Abandoned Hotel to Fashion Center

The Vakko Fashion Center in Istambul, Turkey, was transformed by REX from an abandoned hotel into a fashion-and-media headquarters.

Tweet

The Vakko Fashion Center in Istambul, Turkey, was transformed from an abandoned hotel into a fashion-and-media headquarters in roughly six weeks by carving out all but an exterior ring of the building. However, due to Turkey's frequent earthquakes, the ring was required to stay free-standing.

To fill the center, REX's engineers devised a plan for stacking room-sized steel boxes at curious angles inside the old building's skeleton, creating a magnificent "showcase," comprised of an auditorum, showrooms, meeting rooms, and executive offices.

Maintaining a sleek and refined image was key to Vakko's public profile, so REX cloaked the interior showcase in mirror-glass, creating a mirage-like effect. To veil the clumsy concrete exoskeleton left by the abandoned hotel, thin panes of glass imprinted with a structural "X" were wrapped around the exterior.

Angles are at play throughout, with beams criss-crossing throughout the interior cubes, giving the illusion of rooms tilting in the air.