Building

At the heart of İstiklal: Yapı Kredi Culture Centre

We have been based on cosmopolitan İstiklal Caddesi since 1992, at the heartbeat of Istanbul. This is the site where we dedicated ourselves to culture with our publishing, bookshop, research library, exhibition halls, activities and workshops. This is the site where we put our name to dozens of exhibitions, hundreds of activities, and thousands of publications verifying our universal attitude to cultural and artistic treasures. This is the site where we brought to our public the most highly acclaimed works of contemporary arts and world literature. Publishing Joyce’s Ulysses created as much of a stir as did exhibiting Bellini’s portrait of Mehmed II; Mehmed Siyah Kalem’s illustrations captivated as much as Byzantine coins impressed. Our halls overflowed with our Tuesday Meetings, as did our bookshop with our book signings. This is the site where we exhibited the masterpieces of contemporary art, archaeology, arts and literature, the greatest masters admired by the masses as well as experimental works. The highest quality books adorned our bookshop windows from poetry to philosophy, from children’s books to history, and from the arts to literature. Our publishing house became a hangout for writers and artists, and our bookshop a meeting place for readers and writers of all ages. Our building that grew into an icon of culture and arts witnessed countless social events, demonstrations and fun at Galatasaray Square.

Our building, a major landmark in Beyoğlu cultural landscape, an artistic island, a breathing space, has been refurbished. In September 2017, we met with our new building, more equipped, more comfortable, more functional, more elegant and better designed.

With the opening of the refurbished building of Yapı Kredi Kültür Sanat, Istanbul has added a new performance space: Loca.

Loca welcomes visitors with programs spanning from talks on literature to conferences on art and history at Yapı Kredi Kültür Sanat, from concerts to workshops. Located at the fourth store of the buidling, the spacious Loca has an impressive atmosphere with a 9 meter-high ceiling and high windows overlooking Galatasaray Square. With its entrance, its foyer, its cloakroom, its sound and lighting room, its simultaneous translation room and its backstage, Loca has a capacity of 150 seated and 400 standing. 

Equipped with a powerful sound, image and lighting system, the venue is a new meeting point on the Istiklal Avenue for the readers and art lovers.