Beymen Tersane Opens in Istanbul
Turkish retailer Beymen opened its largest store to date, spanning 130,000 square feet inside a 600-year-old former Ottoman naval shipyard in Istanbul’s Tersane district, according to WWD.
The waterfront multibrand gallery sits in a mixed-use development within a former military zone along the Golden Horn.
The project represents the most sophisticated expression of Beymen’s luxury strategy under sole owner Mayhoola for Investments, which has backed the development over four and a half years.
“This is more than a store for us,” Beymen Group chief executive officer Elif Çapçı told WWD. “From a business perspective, it is now our biggest store, so there is a sizable business plan and a big expectation for this business to scale up.”
Rem Koolhaas Architecture
Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas’ OMA agency designed the interior layout while following strict preservation rules that prohibited touching the historic walls of the Ottoman-era structures. The horizontal space features nine interconnected fashion galleries distinguished by custom color palettes and materials overlooking the Bosphorus.
Art installations and designer furniture fill the open volumes to create a distinct visual contrast against traditional retail environments. “I always say in multibrands, the drama effect is important, because you have very strong monobrand competitors,” Çapçı told WWD. “Also digital is growing very significantly, so multibrand stores have to be beyond transactional shopping.”
Timeless Treasures Exhibition
The store celebrated its first anniversary by launching “Timeless Treasures — The Eternal Journey of the Bag,” an exhibition featuring 80 embellished bags from 55 luxury brands. Curated by Laurence Benaïm with a set design by Bureau Betak, the display includes pieces created exclusively for the venue alongside an 1886 Louis Vuitton wardrobe trunk made for Sultan Abdülhamid II.
International visitors currently account for 18 percent of sales at the Tersane location, outpacing the 10 percent average seen across Beymen’s other multibrand stores. Çapçı expects the location to exceed its first-year sales target by approximately 15 percent.
Future Tersane Expansion
An adjacent open-air luxury mall designed by Foster + Partners is scheduled for completion by September 2028, with future tenants projected to include Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Miu. Additional plans for the 2-billion-dollar waterfront development include two marinas, two museums, and a dedicated ferry stop.
“We could not miss a location like this,” Mayhoola CEO and Beymen chairman Rachid Mohamed Rachid told WWD during a visit to the store. “The reality of luxury in Turkey is that it’s a growing market and it will continue to grow.”
Questions About the Timeless Treasures Exhibition and Beymen Investment
When is the Timeless Treasures exhibition scheduled to close?
The exhibition is scheduled to remain open to the public until Feb. 6, according to WWD.
How much did Beymen invest in the Tersane store?
Beymen Group has invested close to 20 million euros in the flagship location, as reported by WWD.
What is the expected completion date for the adjacent open-air mall?
The Foster + Partners-designed open-air luxury mall next to the store is set to be completed by September 2028, according to WWD.
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