Bronze A' Design Award Winner 2025
Aynur Kirduk's Istanbul Kasaba Loft presents a masterfully composed double-height residential interior where neoclassical architectural detailing merges with contemporary luxury materiality through a rigorously controlled chromatic and spatial strategy. The composition operates on a sophisticated asymmetrical balance, with the primary focal point established by an elongated pale blue velvet sofa positioned in the immediate foreground, its soft cerulean upholstery creating chromatic temperature contrast against the crisp white paneled walls that define the spatial envelope. The sofa's low-slung horizontal form is upholstered in a cool powder blue reminiscent of robin's egg or pale aquamarine, its plush surface suggesting tactile softness, while an array of decorative cushions in complementary tones of silver-gray, dove white, and matching cerulean creates textural and chromatic rhythm across the seating plane. Behind this primary element rises a dramatic spatial intervention: a series of seven floor-to-ceiling vertical mirror panels framed in polished brass or gold-tone metal, their elongated proportions echoing Gothic lancet windows or Art Deco skyscraper fenestration, ascending through the full two-story volume and creating powerful vertical vectors that draw the eye upward while simultaneously multiplying spatial depth through reflective illusion. These mirror panels fragment and multiply the interior space, capturing and refracting both the ornate crystal chandelier that descends from the upper reaches and the architectural moldings that articulate the wall surfaces, producing a kaleidoscopic layering of real and reflected space that generates visual complexity and perceived spatial expansion. The lighting design establishes a warm-cool chromatic dialogue: a grand multi-arm chandelier of traditional form rendered in polished brass with crystalline drops casts warm amber illumination approximating 2700K incandescent glow, while this central source is supplemented by a series of contemporary wall sconces that combine matte black cylindrical bodies with radiating brass arms tipped in exposed filament bulbs, creating a studied tension between classical chandelier typology and industrial-inflected contemporary fixture design. The illumination strategy produces soft diffused ambient light punctuated by sparkle from crystal refractions and the warm glow of visible filaments, establishing an overall lighting quality that reads as sophisticated evening illumination, neither harsh nor dim but calibrated for intimate social gathering. The architectural envelope demonstrates rigorous neoclassical vocabulary: walls are articulated with raised panel molding creating rectangular frames that establish vertical emphasis and classical proportion, while crown molding, baseboards, and wainscoting create horizontal banding that grounds the soaring vertical space. To the upper left, a partial view into a secondary level reveals ornate brass or gold-tone railing with vertical balusters, suggesting a mezzanine or gallery circulation space, further emphasizing the vertical spatial drama. The color palette operates with restraint and sophistication: dominant cool whites with warm undertones on architectural surfaces, warm metallic gold and brass accents throughout lighting and mirror frames, cool cerulean and powder blue on primary upholstery, neutral gray stone or large-format tile flooring with subtle veining, and strategic accents of matte black on sconce bodies providing chromatic punctuation. In the middle ground left, a glimpse into an adjacent dining space reveals a dark-topped table and seating, extending the sense of enfilade and spatial flow characteristic of grand residential planning. A glass-topped cocktail table with sculptural metallic base rests before the sofa, its transparency maintaining visual openness while a decorative metallic object—possibly a stylized organic form in brass—provides sculptural interest. The right edge is defined by heavy drapery in cool gray with horizontal black banding, the textile's weight and sheen suggesting silk or high-quality synthetic, the black stripe creating graphic punctuation and chromatic grounding. Surface textures throughout present a carefully orchestrated material palette: the velvet upholstery's plush optical texture contrasts with the hard reflective smoothness of mirror glass, the warm luster of polished brass against matte black metal, the crisp architectural paint finish against the soft drape of textile, and the cool veined stone flooring providing foundational solidity. Edge treatment throughout favors precision: crisp architectural moldings define sharp boundaries, mirror panels maintain clean geometric edges, upholstery presents tailored contours, and only the drapery introduces soft gathered folds. The perspectival system employs a slightly elevated viewpoint approximating standing human eye level at roughly 5.5 feet, creating a natural one-point perspective with vanishing point located in the distant background center, allowing the mirror installation to function as vertical organizing axis while the soaring ceiling height emphasizes spatial volume. Spatial construction clearly delineates foreground occupied by seating, middle ground defined by the mirror installation and wall plane, and background glimpsed through doorway and reflected in mirrors, creating satisfying recessional depth despite the wall plane's frontal positioning. The overall stylistic register suggests contemporary luxury interior design inflected with neoclassical revivalism, where traditional architectural language is preserved and celebrated while material selections, fixture design, and spatial gestures introduce distinctly contemporary sensibilities, particularly visible in the mirror installation's bold scale and the lighting's industrial-meets-traditional hybrid vocabulary. The atmospheric resonance reads as sophisticated, serene, and quietly opulent, suggesting residential space designed for both intimate daily living and elegant entertaining, where material quality, spatial drama, and chromatic refinement combine to create an environment of understated luxury and architectural distinction. The composition invites contemplation of how contemporary residential design negotiates between historical architectural language and current aesthetic preferences, achieving synthesis through material quality, spatial generosity, and disciplined chromatic editing, while the mirror installation's dramatic vertical gesture introduces sculptural presence and spatial ambiguity that elevates the interior beyond conventional luxury toward architectural statement.
The Istanbul, Kasaba Loft project is a three story villa design that blends modern and Art Deco styles in a nature integrated setting. Loft ceilings and expansive glass facades create airy spaces with personalized zones: social areas on the ground floor, a music studio in the basement, and an office, bar, and cinema corner on the top floor. Enriched with natural materials, custom furniture, and artistic details, the project harmonizes functionality with aesthetics for a unique living experience.