AddresIstanbul, Istanbul

Until last November, Istanbul didn't really have a homeware design hub, but now its burgeoning middle classes can cruise around the élite environs of a mini mall dedicated to all things lifestylish, from sofas to tealights. AddresIstanbul has been designed by local architectural bigwig, Emre Arolat, and is a far cry from the bland malls that have so far infected the city. Its owner, Turkish entrepreneur Funda Akin, wanted to make a real design statement with the interiors, so Arolat came up with three-sided glass boutiques, accessed by long, shiny, raised concrete walkways. Mall stores include top names like Bang & Olufsen, Becara, Hilker and Rivièra Maison. Meanwhile, Turkish fashion designer, Bahar Korçan, will take space there for her first homeware collection.

Akin, who was previously with management consultancy McKinsey, knows her customers. She says that the growing middle classes are well educated, have studied, worked or travelled abroad, and appreciate the European aesthetic. Home decoration is now the third biggest retail sector in Turkey, and ABC1s account for 60 per cent of its consumption. What's more, with the recent introduction of mortgages, Turks are switching from renting to buying, and new homes are being built at the rate of 400,000 a year.

2 Akin Plaza, Sisli, Istanbul, tel: 90.212 320 6262, www.addresistanbul.com

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