There was once a place where fire met sand, where craftsmen shaped liquid light into form, and where production rhythms resonated along the Bosphorus. Over time, the machines stopped, the labor ceased, and the factory became a silent structure present in form but absent in function. This project proposes the reactivation of the Paşabahçe Glass Factory as a site where production, memory, and daily life intersect. Rather than treating the factory as a historical object, the design introduces new functions that respond to both its past and present context. The site now hosts a gastronomy hub that integrates locally produced glassware, modular units for craft workshops, a production line reserved for Paşabahçe-branded collections, an innovation center focused on material experimentation, a living archive that documents and extends the site’s memory, a gallery for contemporary exhibitions, housing for workers, and a hotel that provides public access to the experience of the factory. Echoes in Glass not only reflects the sound within the glass, but also echoes the memory, labor, and time that have been lost with it. This project is not about producing glass; it is about remembering the past through it, hearing the city, and touching the space without physically touching it.
Author: Ece Usubütün
Studio: ARCH 402 Spring 2025
Instructor(s): Ezgi İşbilen, Yiğit Acar
