WATER WORLD

In Istanbul, Pierre Yovanovitch tailors a modernist house on the Bosphorus to suit the needs of his young client

- CHANTEL TATTOLI

FOR PIERRE YOVANOVITCH there is something almost Venetian about this house on the Bosphorus in a tony residential district of Istanbul: the way it sits on the water, the way its windows take in expansive views of the storied strait, the way the watery light wrinkles on the walls over the course of the day. In fact, the first time the AD100 designer visited, he arrived by boat. “I love cities where one moves about by this means of transportation,” he says, and adds that he leaned into the setting in formulating his vision for the project. “The Bosphorus is not tidal, so the water level is always very near the level of the garden, making it feel a bit like an agitated lake. It is always very busy with both local traffic and large cargo vessels transiting between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. It is a mesmerizing view.”

Designed for a young bachelor whose parents live in a classical wooden house nearby, this new structure—built on the site of a 1960s apartment building—is modern in comparison with most of its neighbors. When Yovanovitch arrived on the scene, the big structural work had already been done. His mandate was to create a youthful, contemporary space that would serve the client’s lifestyle now—lots of room for parties and hosting friends—that, in time, could shift into a family home as life progressed.