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Gerner, Kronick and Valcarcel Architects mix modern luxury with turkish culture and heritage
The Park Hyatt Maçka Palace, which opened November 2008, marries historic and exotic elements to modern and luxurious, creating a technological oasis without compromising the iconic historic building and character of Istanbul, Turkey. In addition to the façade restoration, the architects designed 85 spectacular guestrooms, five penthouse suites, an ultra-hip rooftop bar and a first-of-its kind for Istanbul, a steakhouse for the spare-no-expense luxury boutique hotel.
Charged with creating a state-of-the-art hotel in a historic building that formerly served as housing for the Italian consulate, the firm designed a modern glass and steel building called Petit Palace to serve as the entry and house all of the public spaces. This created a tangible homage to Istanbul current culture by combining the past and present. Boasting a platform entrance with steps, guests are ushered into a vast and dramatically sky-lit space creating the ultimate feeling of grandeur upon arrival. The check-in desk, purposefully positioned at the back of the lobby, leads guests through the space to fully appreciate the subtle nuances of the hotel's vibrant, yet historical design elements.
Honouring the culture one step further, the architects created a one-of-a-kind bathing experience called wet rooms. These rooms, like many spaces throughout the hotel, provide the latest in technological lavishness but still respect the locale and acknowledge the societal lifestyle and heritage. The wet rooms include a choice of five different bathing experiences all in one room. There is a splash tub, a rain shower, a Turkish bath where one ladles themselves while sitting on a heated pedestal with warm water, a steam shower and a light therapy shower.
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