Snøhetta and BIG among architects of "landscape-led masterplan" for Istanbul

Architecture studios Snøhetta, BIG and MVRDV are among those designing landmarks for the 84‑hectare Ion Riva masterplan for Istanbul's northern Beykoz district.

Set to be built on the coast of the Black Sea, the project will comprise a quartet of landmark cultural spaces and provide homes for 3,000 residents.

International studios Snøhetta, BIG and MVRDV are working on the project alongside a team made up of local studios KEYM, DB Architects, Rasa and Bilgin Architects.

According to the project team, Ion Riva is a "landscape-led masterplan" that prioritises a connection to the site's position between different natural landscapes.

"At Ion Riva, we have worked with the landscape as the first architect," said Snøhetta co-founder Kjetil Thorsen.

"The meeting of forest, river and sea creates a natural framework, and our task has been to strengthen those conditions rather than overwrite them."

The masterplan is being developed for the Turkish organisation Ion, founded by the architect Mehmet Kalyoncu, who is also spearheading the Turkey-Syria earthquake rebuild as chair of the Turkey Design Council.

Snohetta's main contribution to the Ion Riva is The Ring – an elevated circular structure that bridges a river and will contain community spaces for educational purposes. Below it will be stables and allotments.

"It is a place for learning, cultivation and everyday encounters, shaped by the rhythms of the river valley and the community who will use it," Thorsen explained.

"Architecture here is not an object, but a set of relationships between people and nature, evolving."

Meanwhile, BIG is developing The Drop – a teardrop-shaped timber structure that will contain eateries, art and wellness spaces.

BIG partner Hanna Johansson said the design aims to make "the landscape and the coastline do as much of the work as the architecture".

"The Black Sea shore is dramatic and wild, and our role has been to create a structure that allows people to experience that environment up close – to feel the wind, the light and the rhythm of the sea and that invites people to gather in simple, joyful ways," Johansson explained.

MVRDV is the architect of the masterplan's third cultural landmark, The Lantern, which will contain a performing arts centre and gallery alongside cinema rooms, a bookshop and other community spaces.

The geometric structure will have a red finish and an accessible rooftop for views over the natural landscape. rooftop public space.

The fourth building will sit at the heart of Ion Riva. Its architect and design are yet to be revealed, but it is expected to provide additional arts, education and wellness spaces.

Ion Riva will be delivered in phases, with the first expected to introduce 969 homes, into which the first residents are expected to move in 2027.

This first wave of homes will include three‑ to six‑bedroom villas, organised around internal courtyards that pay homage to the region's vernacular.

Ion Riva's buildings will be constructed with a predominantly natural material palette, including local stone and cross-laminated timber.

Alongside homes and the cultural buildings, the masterplan has dedicated green spaces and walkable streets, with shaded paths and trails. On-site renewable energy systems, including solar panels, will also play a key part.

Other masterplans recently featured on Dezeen include Australia's first new city in over 100 years, which is currently under development by SOM and Hassell, while Foster + Partners is designing a vast aerotropolis in Angola.

The main visual is by Snøhetta.

Project credits:

Architects: Snøhetta, BIG, MVRDV, Bilgin Architects and DB Architects
Interior designers: Mehmet Yücebaşoğlu, ADOD and Yeşim Kozanlı
Engineers: Peutz, Atelier Ten, Mista, Tanrıöver, En Proje, Tig, MEA, Univa, KA Proje, ENAR, IGA and KEYM
Client: Ion

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