Where Coffee Meets Design – An Art Deco Coffee Break in Istanbul

What might be the highlight of an architectural tour in Istanbul’s Historic Peninsula? Likely, it’s the coffee break—and few places offer one as atmospheric as the Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi Coffee and Culture House. Located beside the 17th-century Spice Bazaar, this compact yet evocative building draws visitors in with the unmistakable aroma of freshly ground Turkish coffee, wafting through the winding, crowded alleys of Eminönü.

Coffee break – Architects – Designers

The structure belongs to, Istanbul’s most iconic, family-run coffee businesses, established in 1871, when three brothers began roasting and selling coffee in their father’s spice shop. At a time when most coffee was sold as raw beans, the Kurukahveci family pioneered a new approach: roasting, grinding, and packaging coffee—setting a standard that would shape Turkish coffee culture for generations.

By 1932, the growing success of the business called for a purpose-built venue. A new concrete two-storey shop was commissioned to Zühtü Başar, a prominent architect of the time. His design embraced the Art Deco style, with its strong vertical lines and geometric motifs. The identity of the shop was further solidified through a custom-designed logo by graphic designer İhap Hulusi Görey, still in use today.

Coffee Culture Reimagined, The Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi Coffee and Culture House

In 2019, a three-storey annex, by architect Han Tümertekin was built adjacent to the original shop. Sensitive to the building’s historical context—situated atop the remains of a 16th-century trade house wall—the addition adheres to strict preservation regulations. Constructed as a steel-framed structure with brick infill, wooden floors, and brick vault ceilings, the new volume is carefully attached to the old building without disturbing its integrity. Its understated, material-driven design allows the historic building to remain visually and culturally dominant.

The original Art Deco building was designed as a compact roasting and retail space with roasting, offices and storage above and grinding on ground floor. The annex building follows up with retail activity on ground floor level, where new designs concerning anything around coffee are sold. The second floor houses a coffee library and a collection of Turkish Coffee cups, while the third-floor exhibits beautifully the story of this pioneer family with the refined taste for architecture, design and coffee.

Today, the legacy continues. Coffee is still roasted, ground, packed, and sold just as it was nearly a century ago. The traditional long queues of customers waiting to buy fresh coffee are still there. But today the annex building allows visitors to sip in peace a freshly brewed cup in the adjoining alleyway.

Following a Turkish proverb, “Bir fincan kahvenin kırk yıl hatırı vardır”—A single cup of coffee is remembered for forty years. Especially here.

Text by: Zeynep Kuban-Zeynep Erdeveci, GA-Istanbul

 

https://www.mimarlar.com/tr-TR/Work/kurukahveci-mehmet-efendi-kahve-kultur-evi/144
https://www.instagram.com/hantumertekin/p/B3cZUXDHjJ-/?img_index=1
https://www.mimarizm.com/yeme-icme/bir-kultur-ve-kent-mirasi-kurukahveci-mehmet-efendi_133322
https://www.instagram.com/seda_ozenn/p/ClG501xtaoc/?img_index=1