A walk through Beymen’s stunning OMA-designed flagship in Tersane
Turkish department store Beymen’s new concept shop offers a museum-like take on premium retail, inside a 600 year-old shipyard.
When Elif Capci, the CEO of Turkish luxury retail brand Beymen, took charge of the company 17 years ago, she didn’t imagine that she would be opening a flagship shop on the Golden Horn. The tributary cuts through Istanbul’s oldest districts but, for decades, the waterfront was dilapidated and the surrounding neighbourhoods were neglected. Today, Capci is showing Monocle around Beymen’s new concept shop in Tersane, a 600-year-old military shipyard that has been reimagined as a leisure and hospitality area.
The shop is set within the remains of one of the original 15th-century shipyard buildings, a huge stone hangar by the waterside. The ruins have been filled with complementary modern brickwork, while metal and exposed wooden beams tie the old masonry into the newer structures. The original industrial proportions have been kept; the ceiling soars up to its original height, with a second floor housing private fitting rooms on a floating mezzanine. The entrance ways that once accommodated ships have been turned into huge arched windows looking onto the water.
“It is a very special location – we got the jewel in the crown,” says Capci. “It is not just a shop. This was a lot of responsibility on our shoulders. Our first question was to pick the right architects.”
Beymen commissioned the international collective Office of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) to transform the site. The design team broke up its vast footprint of 12,000 sq m into eight long parallel galleries, each ending in a window. At the other end, a newly built ninth gallery connects them and hosts the main entrance lobby. Each gallery uses different colours and materials, and is decorated with pieces from Beymen’s art collection. Walking through them is as relaxing as browsing a museum; there’s “a common DNA – they all speak one language”, says Capci.
Established as a fabric store in Istanbul’s Sisli district in 1971, Beymen is today Turkey’s answer to Bloomingdale’s or Selfridges, stocking more than 900 international luxury brands as well as its own ranges. And while 30 per cent of its revenues come from online sales, it is in the physical space that Beymen excels.
Capci has stayed ahead of the competition by turning the shop into an experience rather than a simple retail space, ensuring that she still meets customers. “This isn’t just a shop; it’s a lifestyle destination,” she says. “We host events, pop-ups and talks. The bond that we build with our customers is different. We know what they want and that has worked well for us.”
beymen.com
What to buy from Beymen
- Beymen Club handbag: Head to Gallery 2 to pick up a fetching handbag bearing Beymen Club’s distinctive bird logo. The Tersane shop will open a bag exhibition including pieces from major brands’ archives in April.
- Etro bed throw: Give your bedroom a sense of timeless elegance with a throw from storied Italian brand Etro, known for its exquisite fabrics. You’ll find one in the home gallery, Loft 2.
- Academia basics The Beymen-owned essentials brand boasts comfy oversized T-shirts and understated staples.
This article is from Monocle’s March issue, The Monocle 100, which features our editors’ favourite 100 figures, destinations, objects and ideas.
Read the rest of the issue here.
