Istanbul’s new financial district is attracting a lot of attention for its architecture, with a bank headquarters building standing out imposingly among the high-rise towers. A fusion of innovation and contemporary aesthetics, the project is the work of the renowned local studios AS Architects and Gokhan Aksoy Mimarlık. Beyond the imposing height of the building, its design is characterised by the choice of materials, with Cosentino’s ultra-compact stone, Dekton, being used for the walls in the common areas and the bathroom countertops, enhancing the elegance and functionality of the space.

“We could say that the most striking aspect of the project is that, despite its spectacular scale and wide range of materials, it is extremely simple and balanced in its design language,” say the project managers. This statement only goes to show the architects’ ability to create an atmosphere which, despite its grandeur, retains a sense of simplicity and harmony.

The choice of Cosentino’s ultra-compact stone for this project was no accident, as nothing ever is in architecture. According to the architects: “The most decisive aspect that led us to choose Dekton is that it is highly resistant to heavy use, easy to maintain and covers the main needs by offering different sizes and design options.” They also highlighted the fact that it can provide “a uniform look and performance that is not possible to achieve with natural surfaces.”

But in a project of this magnitude, the architects also wanted to highlight another of Dekton’s specific advantages: “The harmony of the material with respect to the scale of the space and the fact that its thickness is independent of the loads of the main structure, can be considered as one of its main advantages.” In addition, they highlighted how “the range of surfaces and colours enhances our understanding of the design, while the surfaces also provide easy maintenance for the user in terms of performance.” The surfaces used for the project were Aeris, whose simple beauty dresses the walls of the common areas, and Liquid Shell and Kira, which were chosen for the bathrooms.