Turkey's Melike Altinisik Architects (MAA) recently completed work on a new supertall communications tower with a striking design. It reaches a height of 369 m (1,210 ft) over Istanbul and boasts a restaurant and viewing area offering choice views of the point where Europe and Asia meet.
Structurally, the Istanbul TV and Radio Tower consists of a steel-reinforced concrete core, with a sculpted facade and a large steel mast on top. Its overall design was informed by the need to withstand heavy winds and by the local topography.
The interior of the tower measures 29,000 sq m (roughly 312,000 sq ft), much of which is taken up with technical floors inaccessible to the public. However, there are some spaces open to visitors. The public can enter into a grass-covered podium on the ground floor that contains a foyer, cafe, and exhibition spaces.
From here, they can take one of a pair of glass-fronted elevators up to the top while enjoying views of the Bosphorus Strait and Princes islands. They arrive at a restaurant and observation point offering 360-degree views of the area. We've no word on the exact height of the viewing point, but MAA tells us that it's the tallest in Istanbul and offers views of Europe and Asia.
The interior decor is quite futuristic-looking and vaguely reminiscent of some of Zaha Hadid Architects' works. This actually makes sense as MAA's founder was with ZHA for a few years before establishing her own firm.
"The telecommunication tower will house two-story 360 view restaurant and observation deck overlooking views of Istanbul, from Asia to Europe," says the firm. "Interior design was developed based on the fact that the building includes unique spaces that offer a new experience and contain futuristic design characters. The main purpose is to create surprising encounters by establishing strong relationships with where it is located, using light, nature, and spatial spaces; so that it may change people's perspective, and encourage them to think differently."
The tower has been in the works since 2011 and has just been completed. It's expected to open its doors to the public "late spring" (northern hemisphere), 2021, and up to 4.5 million people a year are estimated to visit.
Source: MAA
