Changa, Istanbul

Changa is an internationally acclaimed restaurant in Istanbul. Opened in 1999, Changa is a renovation and transformation project of an 1903 Art Nouveau building into a contemporary restaurant with four floors of dining and bar designed by Gokhan Avcioglu.

The new restaurant, which has received much critical acclaim for its design and food, retains the original architectural features such as the wrought iron-gate at the entrance, sash windows on the front of the building, the floor tiles and the ornate moldings, which decorate the ceilings. However, the insertion of contemporary interventions, gives the building a new function. The primary alteration is the addition of an annex in the form of a container that has been placed on top of the back of the original building creating three extra floors of dining, with a private, self-contained office and apartment on top. A spiral staircase, seamlessly slotted into the core of the space creates a central access point to all areas of the building. Changa”s menu is created by famed chef Peter Gordon of The Sugar Club.