İBB started the restoration works of the 123-year-old Botter Apartment, one of the abandoned symbolic structures of Beyoğlu. Sharing the information that İBB Heritage carries out work at 1200 points in Istanbul, İmamoğlu emphasized that they attach special importance to historical buildings that have been neglected for years. İmamoğlu said, “A society that feels, lives and remembers its past memory well, looks to the future with more hope. Because there are many occasions in the past of this city and this country that will make us look to the future with hope.”
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) has started the restoration works of the historical Botter Apartment, one of the abandoned symbolic structures of Beyoğlu. IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu, Sultan II. He spoke at the initiation ceremony of the restoration work to begin in the Botter Apartment, which was built by Abdülhamid for the Dutch Maison Jean Botter, the official tailor of the palace. Emphasizing that Istanbul is a magnificent city in the historical sense, İmamoğlu underlined that Istiklal Street is an important center in this context. Saying, "Beyoğlu is a place that stands at the center of the steps we take to protect this heritage, which we are trying to spread throughout Istanbul," said İmamoğlu, adding, "Here, especially from Taksim Square to Tünel, Galata and Karaköy, they will complement each other and this will also reflect the memory I mentioned. We continue to work intensively on the points that will make you feel at any moment. Our main purpose here; It is an effort to make the real identity of the city, its existence both to those who live today, and to present it to the whole world.”
“WE SHAKE HAND WITH A VERY TRANSPARENT PROCESS”
Emphasizing that it is indispensable to remember and update the lost identity of Istanbul, İmamoğlu emphasized that they established “İBB Heritage” for this purpose. Sharing the information that İBB Miras is working at 1200 points in Istanbul, İmamoğlu said, "It continues to touch every neglected point in many points of Beyoğlu," he said. Stating that Botter Apartment is the first “Art Nouveau” building of the Ottoman Empire, İmamoğlu said:
“At the same time, it is a building that we can describe as the first fashion house that brings European fashion inspirations to Pera. Botter Fashion House opens in this apartment, which dates back to 1900-19001. In fact, even this gives us great excitement. So just imagine, 123 years ago, a world-class fashion house was opened here. I knew that my friends had determined that this valuable building was in a very derelict state, that they had started the facade work, and I knew that they were analyzing the process here. Afterwards, we shook hands following a very transparent, very participatory, very rational and well-intentioned process, especially with the property owners. And here we have done a very valuable and very special job for Istanbul. In this process, I am happy to bring this place back to Istanbulites, and even to the world cultural life, with an agreement in return for restoration, especially in this place, which will be focused on culture and art.”
“WE WILL BRING THE DESIGN CENTER WE DREED TO IN ISTANBUL”
Reminding that Istanbul was a city that won the title of “UNESCO Design City” in 2017, İmamoğlu said, “But at the same time, a city that won such a title does not have a design center either. This is not really a good situation. In this sense, we will bring this design center we dream of to Istanbul with Casa Botter. Of course, we are aware of the fact that it will be a great gain to offer spaces that aim to make people feel and show the design power of the talented people in this city. It is most important for us to have done this in the Botter Apartment, in Istiklal, which is the center of attraction for fashion and architecture in the history of the city.”
“THE SECOND DESIGN CENTER WILL BE AT ZEYTINBURNU ÇIRPICI”
İmamoğlu shared the information that, apart from the Botter Apartment, they will soon restore an area in Zeytinburnu Çırpıcı, which used to serve the textile industry, as a "Design Center". "Casa Botter will function as a roof where designers, culture and art actors, individuals and institutions that have been put aside for a while in Beyoğlu come together," said İmamoğlu.
“Under this roof, there will be different activity areas such as the Exhibition Hall, Screening Centre, Istanbul Documenter Film Archive, Information Document Center, Conference Hall, Design Workshop, Design Office Open Space, Artist Design Hub Open Space and Artist Hub. In the restoration, which we will proceed step by step, our aim is to complete the works on the garden, ground floor and first floor and open them to Istanbulites. Istanbulites will also have the chance to relax, socialize and have a pleasant time in Botter Apartment. We are planning to use the garden as an activity area again. Those who wish will be able to discover Botter while it is still under restoration. Land Walls, Bukoleon Palace, Anatolian-Rumeli Fortress and the Botter Apartment building site, which has attracted great interest recently, will be opened to Istanbulites as soon as the restoration begins, with the 'open construction site principle', which we attach great importance to. We are experiencing the joy and pride of reviving what has been neglected for years, that our restoration works continue intensively at many points such as Anadolu Hisarı and Rumeli Hisarı. I know that all these projects and a remembering Beyoğlu will be good for all of us, as well as for those living in Istanbul. A society that feels, lives and remembers its past memory well, looks to the future with more hope. Because we have many occasions in the past of this city and this country that will make us look to the future with hope.”
POLAT: “ISTANBUL'S FATE..?”
Mahir Polat, Deputy Secretary General of IMM, also shared detailed information about the history and restoration process of Botter Apartment Building in his speech. Stating that they encountered an inspection during the exterior restoration of Botter Apartment Building, Polat said, “I don't know if it is the fate of Istanbul, such valuable treasures are drifting towards dereliction, abandonment, and a tragedy with the deadlocks brought by the conservation law. Botter Apartment Building is a building that IMM has taken over with a public responsibility for façade conservation, with the help of IMM Heritage, which was established during the reign of our President, which is the eminent institution of our Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, under the pandemic conditions last year. Because of this activity, unfortunately, it was subject to inspection. 'Let's save the façade of such a value in Istanbul from destruction. The subject we were dealing with, 'Let's do something', became a subject of inspection," he said.
THANKS TO İMAMOĞLU FROM POLAT
Noting that they overcame all the bureaucratic and property rights difficulties they experienced in the process, Polat said, “We had a very valuable power and support in front of us so that we could overcome all of these efforts, troublesome bureaucratic processes and all the difficulties arising from the legislation. Without that support, neither the IMM heritage nor these areas would have been able to carry on with these projects. In the presence of all of you, Mr. President Ekrem İmamoğluWe would like to thank .
After the restoration works, Botter Apartment will be brought to Istanbul as an exhibition and sightseeing area.
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