ESCA
The design of ESCA, the new restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Osman Sezener in İzmir İstinyePark, was approached as a dialogue between the spatial memory of Mediterranean culture and the operational demands of contemporary gastronomy. The project’s defining condition was the site itself: a leased space marked by an amorphous geometry that became a key driver of the design process.
The spatial strategy prioritises continuity between interior and exterior, establishing permeable relationships across different levels while clarifying circulation throughout the plan.
A centrally positioned bar, designed for 360-degree use, acts as the social anchor of the restaurant. Around it, service areas and circulation routes are carefully organised to minimise net area loss and support an efficient, legible layout.
Material and lighting choices play a central role in shaping the restaurant’s atmosphere across the day. Travertine floors, textured timber surfaces, earth-toned furnishings and a controlled lighting scheme work together to reinterpret the Mediterranean’s characteristic sense of openness, warmth and sociability through a contemporary interior language.
