Istanbul will be proud of the new iconic cultural center in Taksim Square to be built by first quarter of 2019. The new building will replace the existing Opera House / Cultural Center (Atatürk Kültür Merkezi) which was first designed as a theater building by French architect Auguste Perret and built in 1946. The new building is expected to become the “symbolic” region of Istanbul. The new cultural center will have a capacity of 2,500 people and huge screens will be displayed outside the building.
Many believe it is a pity that that the construction of the new AKM building, which has been closed for many years, was delayed until today.
It is reported that Murat Tabanlıoğlu , the son of one of the building’s first architects will be leading the project. Regarding the project Tabanlıoğlu commented as follows: “Opera houses are often places where only rich elites go, whereas they should be places where everyone can go.”