Casa Foscolo is a multifaceted design project that weaves together restoration, adaptive reuse, branding, architecture, and interior design to breathe new life into a 19th-century cultural landmark in Istanbul’s Asmalımescit quarter. Once a forgotten neoclassical structure, the building has been reimagined by I-AM as a boutique hotel, art gallery, café, and cultural meeting point—a hybrid space that merges tradition with contemporary living.

Beyoğlu has always been a crossroads of cultures—home to Levantine shipowners, European merchants, and Turkish artists. Casa Foscolo embraces this legacy and channels it into a space that invites interaction, creativity, and collective memory.

The design approach was rooted in storytelling. From the outset, Casa Foscolo was envisioned as a living gallery—a spatial narrative where art and design are not mere embellishments but integral to the guest experience. The building’s architectural soul—arched hallways, handcrafted ceilings, stone walls—was respectfully preserved and brought into dialogue with new, expressive layers of contemporary design. Custom furniture, curated artworks, and local materials are orchestrated to create an immersive, ever-evolving exhibition.

Each floor of the hotel reveals a different sensory rhythm: tones shift, materials vary, and textures interact. Local artisans played a central role, collaborating on ceramic works, lighting design, and handmade elements that stitch Istanbul’s cultural past into its modern fabric. Guest rooms become personal micro-galleries, each telling a story through spatial composition, art, and atmosphere.

Public areas on the ground and lower levels are intentionally porous—designed to blur the boundary between hospitality and cultural engagement. A curated lobby, co-working space, exhibition zone, and café invite both locals and visitors to experience the building as a cultural engine, with regular art installations, events, and community gatherings.

Sustainability underpins the project at every level: through adaptive reuse, material conservation, and the revival of local craft economies, Casa Foscolo demonstrates that preservation can coexist with innovation. Every design decision was made to amplify the building’s heritage while aligning with contemporary social and ecological values.

Ultimately, Casa Foscolo is not just a place to stay—it is a place to feel, reflect, and connect. A hotel that performs art, not just displays it. A living monument that invites the city in.