New Istanbul Financial Center
The London and New York offices of HOK have released renderings of a 4.2million sq.m mixed-use facility for the Turkish Government. The New Istanbul International Finance Center (IFFC) is under construction on a 70-hectare site on the city’s Asian side. Once complete the complex will encompass residential, retail, office, conference, hotel, and park space in a highly sustainable masterplan drawn up by HOK who have also designed two of the site’s office towers. The masterplan is split into four individual sections: culture, commerce, civic and governance. HOK President Bill Hellmuth, AIA, commented: “We are honored to have the opportunity to plan a world-class financial center in Istanbul - a city that historically has been such a dynamic global center for commerce. Our masterplan provides a framework for developing a sustainable financial center in a way that blends human need, environmental stewardship and economic viability into a new global model of urbanism rooted in Turkish culture.” As part of their bid for the 2020 Olympic Games, Istanbul undertook a series of economic analyses which confirmed a rise of more than 8% in Turkey’s economy in 2011. Following the release of these figures, the Turkiye Milli Olimpiyat Komitesi said: “[This data] proves what we have been saying quietly and confidently for several years now: that Turkey is building a strong, stable and sustainable new economic model.” With the second largest population in the world behind Shanghai and a burgeoning economy, the argument for the city to receive an International Finance Center of this nature is strong. Costing $2.6bn (€2bn), the project will incorporate a number of infrastructure improvements including a new subway line with associated station and infrastructure for sustainable power, water, data and security. All of these systems will be integrated into a podium which will provide the surface for a new urban park. Due to complete in 2016, work on the scheme has already begun onsite with excavation well underway. Arup provided a variety of engineering, sustainability, information technology, communications and security design services during the masterplanning phase.
HOK