SEKSENDOKUZ Architecture: Over 1000 Gastronomy Projects Completed, Hotel Projects on the Horizon!

Having completed over 1,000 gastronomy spaces along with numerous residential, housing, and office designs to date, SEKSENDOKUZ Architecture is preparing to bring its 28 years of experience to boutique hotel design and renovation. The brand's founding partner, Ayşe Çetin, signaled that the brand is entering a new era with her statement: "Our intention is to become an operator in the near future. This will start with a restaurant first, and then why not a hotel as well?"

From Ankara to Cyprus, from residences to boutique markets, SEKSENDOKUZ Architecture, which pursues numerous contemporary designs, focuses not only on aesthetics but also on functionality, operational efficiency, and user experience, starting with the "design" from the menu itself. The new phase plans include boutique hotel projects, renovation work, and new steps that could extend to operations in the long term. There is an approach to every project that not only analyzes the product vision correctly as a team but also discovers and constructs the story of the space.

The founding partner of SEKSENDOKUZ Architecture, which works in a design-oriented manner yet intimately with operations, Ayşe Çetin, explained the firm's 2026 roadmap and sectoral transformation goals.

As SEKSENDOKUZ Architecture, you have been producing projects specifically for the gastronomy sector for over 28 years. Could you share with us the standout projects you have completed to date and your design approach that sets you apart in this field?

We have been in this sector for 28 years, completed many projects, and brought many

brands to life. Of course, there have been projects that were very exciting both in terms of the process and the results. I draw this excitement entirely from the investor's energy. Working with someone who is hands-on and passionate makes reaching the result so enjoyable. Sometimes there have been very unconventional projects as well. For kitchens whose realization was once only dreamed of, the source of excitement is not just the result but also the process. Creating a new concept is not just about visual presentation; issues such as how the space will function, how it will produce, and how it will maintain standards are also very important. The result turns out excellent. I believe that a gastronomy space cannot be prepared with visual design alone. I believe that all decisions made for every design must serve the product offered and the outcome.

For this reason, the first step of our work always starts with the menu. The projects that excite me the most are those where these stages are brought to us through collaboration.

You have built an impressive portfolio with projects you have completed both domestically and internationally. Among those currently underway are projects in Ankara and Cyprus. Could you tell us about these projects?

A residential project in Ankara. A residence with 450 square meters of space. The homeowners are open to all kinds of innovation and requested a design with high-tech features from us above all else. When they come home amid the pace of their intense business life, being able to perform numerous functions without much movement became essential when starting this design. Of course, we had to work without overlooking the essentials of a warm home environment. The design has been completed, and we are now in the implementation phase.

Our project in Cyprus is a boutique market project for a local brand: TARSAN GURME. We designed the second branch of the brand whose first store we previously brought to life. The implementation is currently ongoing. At the same time, this company has launched a new ice cream brand, PAMEO. The first branch of the brand, which has been in the market with packaged products until now, is being brought to life.

In addition to architectural design, you now also take an active role in implementation processes. What exactly does your turnkey service model encompass for clients under this new structure?

For a long time, we only focused on the design side. Now, with our new partnership structure, we are confidently advancing on the implementation side as well. This model encompasses all services from start to finish, as we all know—including design, project planning, and coordination. As I mentioned before, this service begins with the menu. Afterwards, the most efficient layout is created within the space and its 3D modeling is prepared. Subsequently, architectural, mechanical, electrical, and structural implementation projects are developed.

When we move to the construction phase, we provide interdisciplinary coordination services. All procurement, workshop monitoring, and on-site installation tracking are included in this service. Every detail—from corporate identity to desk accessories, from the music played in the space to venue photography—can be managed by the SEKSENDOKUZ Architecture team.

In 2025, within 7 months, we completed 4 retail stores and 3 residential projects in this manner. Additionally, we completed and delivered projects for 3 stores, including one boutique market and two butcher shops.

Your experience in food and beverage-focused spaces over many years must have given you the ability to analyze user habits very well. How do you carry this approach to different projects?

This is truly a very different kind of expertise. Architecture is already a profession that manages all disciplines. When you also have knowledge about the back office of the business, you can create much more advanced coordination.

This naturally enables us to work much faster during construction periods. Whether it's a gastronomy venue, a home office, etc., it makes no difference. Because the knowledge that can solve a restaurant kitchen doesn't overlook any mechanical infrastructure in other spaces. This is made possible by the development of our ability to look at the space to be designed from multiple perspectives. An architect who understands the kitchen, customer, and product flow in a restaurant can solve almost any function. That's how I think about it.

To date, you have primarily worked in areas with warm user contact, such as restaurants, cafes, bistros, and boutique markets. So, what strategy are you following to transfer this experience to more complex structures, such as hotels?

We have such a goal. We have designed over 1,000 gastronomy spaces to date. I can say that each one is like a small accommodation facility. If we add our home, residential, and office designs, the number reaches around 1,200. We want to use this experience in the hotel sector as well. To be honest, we don't have a specific strategy, but we plan to expand our relationships through fairs to be held this year and add boutique hotels to our portfolio.

This could be a path for us that includes both design and renovations, and perhaps even extends to operations. Our intention is to become a business owner in a short period of time. This will start with a restaurant first—why not a hotel afterwards?

You mentioned that you want to position yourself in the renovation area for hotel projects. What is the difference that your architectural approach will bring to renovation projects? What do you pay the most attention to in such projects?

I think we will demonstrate our difference in functional solutions, which I've mentioned frequently. The experience that 28 years and over 1,000 gastronomy projects have given us makes us confident in correctly reading the existing structure and identifying problems. Once we identify the problem, solution proposals are already within our capability to present quickly.

What comes after requires proper budgeting and proper coordination, which is already part of our area of expertise.

In your design language, functionality plays as important a role as aesthetics. How do you see this understanding as a contribution tool in multifunctional hotel structures, social areas, and the accommodation experience?

I think what you're talking about are almost the most important elements when creating space narratives. Aesthetic perception is of course very important, but we have a claim we make before every new project: We can attract the necessary attention aesthetically and bring people inside once, but after that, the second-time preference of that space becomes the skill of the business owner. Proper flow, proper service, proper sound, proper scent, proper lighting, proper sales policy. If a business cannot sustain these elements correctly, there is no possibility of permanence.

What kind of growth do you foresee in different building types, especially in the hotel sector, within the next two years? What new areas and markets does your architecture office aim to be present in within your 2026 vision?

We expect an increase in tourism structures in 2026. Accommodation habits have changed greatly after the pandemic. We all prefer more boutique spaces. This is naturally reflected in investments. More environmentally friendly, more compact, and sustainable solutions will be pioneering. Along with this, I believe that guests' expectations for digitalization will also cause many hotels to make new investments.

In the new generation housing concept, we think that architectural solutions such as modularity, energy efficiency, and expectations for more open space need to evolve according to new and limited resources, and we plan to continue our work in this direction.

"We believe that a good gastronomy space cannot be designed with visual design alone. I believe that all decisions made for visual design must serve the product offered and the outcome. For this reason, the first step of my work always starts with the menu."

Hotel Restaurant.

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