Sapphire of Istanbul
Encyclopedia
Istanbul Sapphire, or Sapphire, is a skyscraper
, and as of 2011, the tallest building in Istanbul
and Turkey
, located in the central business district
of Levent
. It will relegate to the second spot upon the completion of the Diamond of Istanbul
triple towers, located in the nearby central business district of Maslak
. It is the country's first ecological skyscraper. Sapphire rises 54 floors above ground level, and boasts an above-ground roof height of 238 meters (the building has an overall structural height of 261 meters including its spire, which is part of the design and not a radio antenna.) It is a shopping and luxury residence mixed-use project by Biskon Construction (a subsidiary of the Kiler Group of Companies.)
main road arteries and to the Bosphorus
and F.S.M.
bridges. The building has a direct access to the 4. Levent subway station
from its 3rd basement floor, and is situated on Büyükdere Avenue, one of Istanbul's main thoroughways, in the middle of the city's central Beşiktaş
and Şişli
districts, and in close proximity to the quarter of Etiler
.
There will be specialized floors which have private gardens between every 3 floors, and every 9 floors are separated from each other by a communal living area or mechanical floor
s. Design of the gardens are proposed with a number of alternatives and the consistency of garden maintenance is under the residence management company’s responsibility.
Sapphire is the first ecological building of Turkey, having two special glass shells which can take the outside air naturally by holes located at every 3 floors. Thanks to this system, the inhabitants of the building will not be affected by the negative weather conditions and external urban noise, in addition to providing a buffer with the outside atmosphere and the internal facilities. Absorption of the sunlight and ultraviolet beams will be ensured by a special curtain system that's automatically controlled through a computer, depending on the season, day and hour.
The project is built on a land plot of 11,339 m2 and has an overall total construction area of 157,800 m2, which includes a 35,000 m2 shopping mall.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
, and as of 2011, the tallest building in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, located in the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Levent
Levent
Levent is a neighbourhood and one of the main business districts of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European side of the city. It is a part of the municipality of Beşiktaş which is situated to the north of the Golden Horn, at the western shore of the Bosporus strait.Levent is in direct...
. It will relegate to the second spot upon the completion of the Diamond of Istanbul
Diamond of Istanbul
Diamond of Istanbul is the tallest building currently under construction in Istanbul, Turkey, being built in the city's Maslak central business district. It is also the country's first steel skyscraper...
triple towers, located in the nearby central business district of Maslak
Maslak
Maslak is a neighbourhood and one of the main business districts of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European side of the city. It is an exclave of the municipality of Şişli, though being far north and actually closer to the municipalities of Beşiktaş and Sarıyer.Maslak is in direct competition...
. It is the country's first ecological skyscraper. Sapphire rises 54 floors above ground level, and boasts an above-ground roof height of 238 meters (the building has an overall structural height of 261 meters including its spire, which is part of the design and not a radio antenna.) It is a shopping and luxury residence mixed-use project by Biskon Construction (a subsidiary of the Kiler Group of Companies.)
Location
It is strategically located close to the TEM and O1O1
- Aircraft :*O-1 Bird Dog, an observation aircraft manufactured by Cessna*O-1 Falcon, an observation aircraft manufactured by the Curtiss Aircraft Company*O-1 Airship, an Italian manufactured semi-rigid airship operated by the US Navy- Military :*NATO Rank O-1...
main road arteries and to the Bosphorus
Bosphorus Bridge
The Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge is one of the two bridges in Istanbul, Turkey, spanning the Bosphorus strait and thus connecting Europe and Asia The bridge is located between Ortaköy and Beylerbeyi The Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge is...
and F.S.M.
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, also known as the Second Bosphorus Bridge , is a bridge in Istanbul, Turkey spanning the Bosphorus strait...
bridges. The building has a direct access to the 4. Levent subway station
Istanbul Metro
The Istanbul Metro, or the M2, is a mass-transit underground railway network that serves the city of Istanbul, Turkey. Founded in 2000, it now includes 13 stations. The system currently consists of a single north-south line...
from its 3rd basement floor, and is situated on Büyükdere Avenue, one of Istanbul's main thoroughways, in the middle of the city's central Beşiktaş
Besiktas
Beşiktaş is a municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and on the east by the Bosphorus...
and Şişli
Sisli
Şişli is one of 39 districts of Istanbul, Turkey. Located on the European side of the city, it is bordered by Beşiktaş to the east, Sarıyer to the north, Eyüp and Kağıthane to the west, and Beyoğlu to the south...
districts, and in close proximity to the quarter of Etiler
Etiler
Etiler is a neighbourhood on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, located in the district of Beşiktaş, close to the business quarters of Levent and Maslak....
.
History and architecture
Istanbul Sapphire has been designed by Tabanlıoğlu Architecture as a high-tech structure that consists of 64 floors (54 above-ground and 10 basement floors), communal living floors, extensive parking spaces, a large shopping mall, and 47 floors for residences.There will be specialized floors which have private gardens between every 3 floors, and every 9 floors are separated from each other by a communal living area or mechanical floor
Mechanical floor
A mechanical floor, mechanical penthouse, or mechanical level is a storey of a high-rise building that is dedicated to mechanical and electronics equipment. "Mechanical" is the most commonly used term, but words such as utility, technical, service, and plant are also used...
s. Design of the gardens are proposed with a number of alternatives and the consistency of garden maintenance is under the residence management company’s responsibility.
Sapphire is the first ecological building of Turkey, having two special glass shells which can take the outside air naturally by holes located at every 3 floors. Thanks to this system, the inhabitants of the building will not be affected by the negative weather conditions and external urban noise, in addition to providing a buffer with the outside atmosphere and the internal facilities. Absorption of the sunlight and ultraviolet beams will be ensured by a special curtain system that's automatically controlled through a computer, depending on the season, day and hour.
Turkey's deepest excavated construction pit
The foundation pit excavated for the project - 42.5 meters deep - is the deepest foundation pit excavated for any structure in Turkey.Construction work
Companies
The companies involved in the development and construction of the project have included thus far:- Biskon Yapı (construction subsidiary of Kiler Group of Companies and the project's main construction company, Istanbul, company web site)
- Güney Turizm (Mustafa Tatlıcı Group) (owner of the plot)
- Kiler Holding (investor and developer)
- Tabanlıoğlu Mimarlık (the project's architectural design, Istanbul, company web site)
- Demsar Inşaat (project's sub-contractor for structural construction of the skyscraper, Istanbul),
- Ruscheweyh Consult GmbH (wind loads on buildings and structures, Germany, company web site), and other Turkish and international companies.
See also
- List of tallest buildings in Istanbul
- List of tallest buildings in Turkey
- List of tallest buildings in Europe