Turkish studio Autoban has taken cues from Istanbul’s turn-of-the-century industrial era to create a bar and restaurant within a former brewery complex in the city.

Called Kilimanjaro, the new space is part of the 1902 former Bomonti Historic Brewery, which has been converted into a cultural hub offering art, live music and culinary delights under one roof.

Autoban’s design for the bar and restaurant, featuring bespoke finishes and furniture throughout, harks back to when the building was still a production plant – ‘a time when artisan tradition played a collective part within industrial production’, as the studio explains.

A bespoke sculptural bar occupies the heart of the space with greenery sprouting from the upper half of the tall wooden structure.

Autoban also custom designed furniture for the restaurant as well as wooden panelling that lines the perimeter of the dining area. The surface pattern of the wall panels has been replicated on the wooden flooring, while lighting in the space takes cues from designs of the industrial period.

‘Such choices of materials and artisan detailing were also helpful in softening the severity of the industrial atmosphere,’ adds Autoban.