Nopa, one of the latest restaurant-bars in Istanbul designed by Autoban, is featured in Gestalten's new title - Let's Go Out Again
In creating the cutting-edge design concept for Nopa, a grill restaurant-bar in Istanbul, Autoban have applied their signature aesthetic by maintaining a unity in architecture, interior and product design as well as engaging indoor and outdoor areas.
Housed on the ground floor of a recently built apartment (also built by Autoban), and opening to a back garden, Nopa is mainly formed by two separate areas (indoor and outdoor) that sit on a long and narrow layout plan. The main concern for the interior has been to stay true to the distinct rectangular shape of the space while enriching it with the use of diverse textural materials in layers. All secondary functions (such as wine storage and liquor bottle shelves behind the bar counter) are embedded into walls to maintain a continuous vertical surface level and a certain form of unity. The building’s front façade features an organized geometrical composition applied in varying layers, which is successfully incorporated also to the interior.
While the indoor vertical surfaces feature varying materials with different functions - black marble and back-lit niches with plate glass covers – these idle and filled up surfaces come together to form a certain richness and break the monotony.
Designed to be an extension of the interior, the outdoor area follows the same design approach with layers of greenery that both bring diversity to the space and highlight the perception of being outdoors. It is a surrounding vertical garden, with a wall waterfall on one side providing a peaceful background sound for diners, and comes out as one of the most significant design element of the project.
The interior is defined by a material palette rooted in nature, where large surfaces generously showcase their individual capabilities. Black marble – specially chosen for its unique vein structure -comes forward as the standout material of choice for indoor vertical surfaces (also used on the bar counter), and it is accompanied by wood and metal bearing their natural textures.
While on the floor, natural stones in different tones and cut in varying sizes form a continuous geometric pattern both indoor and outdoors; inside, the ceiling is kept simple and practical to wire and hide all technical lighting elements for functional lighting - which includes supplemental custom-designed pendant lights to create a dramatic effect. Exhibiting a similar design approach with that of the architecture, geometry and layering are also the key features of the furniture. Sofas with wooden shells, fabric upholstery and leather cushions as well as chairs with leather upholstery provide a warm setting and comfortable seating for long, slow meals.
Total area 220 sqm Client The House Group Interior design Autoban Project team Seyhan Özdemir, Sefer Çağlar / Bilal Aydın, Zeynep Akten, Güven Yalın, Müge Çakır, Kerim Özkan Photography Sergio Ghetti