Studio Noor were tasked to rejuvenate the prestigious Splendid Palace Hotel, which was constructed in the early 20th century by Müsir Kazim Pasha, a prominent Ottoman statesman and ancestor of the owners. Once the most famous summertime destination for holidaymakers in Istanbul, Studio Noor were taken on to refresh the ‘grand dame’ without losing the flair and atmosphere that hotel guests have come to know and love.
The design brief included updating the public spaces and advising on the design of a selection of the guestrooms of the famous hotel without denaturing it, to bring it back to a year-round hotel destination.
To achieve an authentic yet impactful restoration, Studio Noor undertook an extensive research project studying the old building and examining photographs and references from the hotel’s archives. Interviews were held with senior members of the family that have owned the hotel since 1908 to collect their memories on how things were in the hotel’s glory years. Reference projects of the same era around the region were reviewed, with studies of other hotels in Istanbul, Cote d’Azur and the Italian Riviera.
The final design scheme was inspired by the hotel’s significant historical location and ancient references from the archive, Visconti movie sets and Agatha Christie novels. These references were blended with contemporary accents to make the hotel more relevant for guests today.
