Abandoned Buildings of Istanbul – Data Gathering – Hotel Building in Şişhane

This small abandoned building would not have catched our attention if it wasn’t for its unique location. Şişhane is a small neighborhood located in the heart of Istanbul.

If one arrives in Istanbul and is taken directly to Şişhane, one might believe he/she is in any european city. The oppulence and beauty of its early XX century buildings can compete with those in cities like Paris or Vienna.

In our Abandoned Buildings of Istanbul series of articles we have mainly addressed large, well known, failed projects or buildings with historical relevance. This time, this is not the case. The identified building is not important in itself, the location is. But we might say that it falls in a category of abandoned structures that exists the most throughout cities. There are thousands of smaller investments in real estate that don’t come to an end, comprising millions of square meters unused and abandoned.

Şişhane’s beautiful buildings. On the right, the Beyoğlu Municipality building.

Şişhane belongs to the Beyoğlu Municipality and it is close to some of its most famous streets and monuments. The Galata Tower and the Tünel funicular tram are just a few meters away as well as the Istiklal Avenue, Istanbul’s most famous shopping street.

The building sits on the sloped hill that rises from the Galata Bridge up to the Taksim Square. Oriented towards the West, its views embrace the Golden Horn, with a large part of the historical peninsula (Sultanhamet and Beyazit) famous skyline in the background.

The unfinished Hotel building with Beyazit in the background.

We learned that the planned function for the building was for an hotel and its construction started in 2015. The reasons for its present situation are unknown, but since it doesn’t seem to be unrespectful of any urban regulation we tend to think it relates with the investing company going bankrupt.

We can read from the visible concrete structure that even if the building was finished, nothing special would come out. It’s just another profit oriented project, without any design ambitions whatsoever.

What is shocking about this abandoned building is the noble place where it stands and the horrible image we’re offered. It considerably degradates the already endagered homogeneity of this delicate urban area.

Six years have passed since its construction started, meaning that the building should have been completed five years ago and fully functioning. Unfortunately that is not the case. The historical importance of Şişhane should be enough reason to prevent this situation to go on for so long. Even more so when the Beyoğlu Municipality central services are only meters away.