KFC Sirkeci | CBTE Architecture

Founded by architects Cagdas Belen and Tanem Eren Belen, Istanbul-based architectural firm CBTE Mimarlik, reinterprets the traditional architectural practices established for fast food restaurants offering a visually rich and unique KFC experience at the heart of Istanbul’s historical peninsula.

In charge of developing architectural design concepts for the Turkey-based restaurants of the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain, KFC, CBTE Mimarlik brings the international brand's new face to a more mature level through each new design. In this project, CBTE Mimarlik reinterpreted the conventional design patterns for fast food restaurants through Sirkeci's historical and cultural context with a contemporary language.

KFC Sirkeci demonstrates a strong stance with its modern language through the integration of  KFC's global corporate identity and Sirkeci's contextual elements. With its proximity to Sirkeci Train Station and its major facade overlooking the Bosphorus and Eminonu Dock, KFC Sirkeci offers views of the Galata Tower to its customers combining all the  necessary constituents for a unique and special experience.

All of the major decisions taken during the design and construction phases of the project are aimed towards creating a flagship restaurant that is in harmony with its historical context as well as enabling KFC to demonstrate its strong corporate identity. At KFC Sirkeci, CBTE Mimarlik brings together modern and traditional materials in a contemporary manner. The use of natural stone flooring in harmony with the exterior alongside rich-textured wood and marble materials and exposed brick interior walls create a unique and contemporary set up. The space conceived by CBTE Mimarlik comprises dining and kitchen areas defined by changes in floor level resulting in a rectangular dining area in plan. The metal mesh structure which conceals the ceiling mechanical units stretches over the entire dining area unifying the space.

One of the aspects that makes KFC Sirkeci unique is the display of a custom-designed ceramic-tiled (Turkish cini) mural on restaurant's most prominent wall, where each tile has been proportionately designed and hand-painted prior to its application.