Bronze A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design Goes to Ciftci Towers Elysia Wellness Interior by Esra Basmaz Interior Architecture

The international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Esra Basmaz Interior Architecture for interior space and exhibition design

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 22, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Ciftci Towers Elysia Wellness Interior by Esra Basmaz Interior Architecture, designed for Esra Basmaz Interior Design Studio, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

The Bronze A' Design Award Explained

The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.

Regarding Ciftci Towers Elysia Wellness Interior

Elysia, located within Ciftci Towers in Istanbul, interprets the city's layered context through a calm and cohesive interior language. References to the Bosphorus are expressed through fluid spatial transitions, while wood surfaces, water elements, and controlled lighting define a continuous sequence across spa, pool, and fitness areas. Biophilic cues support sensory balance, while the layout enables a gradual detachment from surrounding urban intensity. The project emphasizes material clarity and measured geometry to create a composed and immersive environment.

About Esra Basmaz Interior Architecture

Esra Basmaz is the Founder and Design Director of Esra Basmaz Interior Architecture, an Istanbul-based studio specializing in luxury residential, villa, corporate office, retail, showroom, wellness and spa interior architecture. Combining more than twenty years of professional experience with an art-based educational background, she leads projects from concept development to turnkey project delivery. Her design approach is inspired by Mediterranean architecture, traditional Ottoman architectural heritage and biophilic design principles, creating timeless environments through the balanced use of natural materials, geometry, light and human-centred design.

Award Record

This recognition makes Esra Basmaz Interior Architecture a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted in the 2025 - 2026 edition of the A' Design Award & Competition.

About the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award

The A' Interior Design Award is an international interior design competition recognizing good interior designs by interior designers and architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Typical entries include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. The awarded interior designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/interior

About A' Design Award & Competition

Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/176866
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/176866
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!176866
Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/373389
Further Information from the Laureate: https://esrabasmaz.com/

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project: Ciftci Towers Elysia Wellness Interior
Function: Wellness Interior
Category: Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Discipline: Spatial Design
Industry: Architecture and Packaging & Retail
Colors: Dark Gray, Dark Slate Gray and Black
Images: 5
Client: Esra Basmaz Interior Design Studio

The Recognition

Laureate: Esra Basmaz Interior Architecture
Country: Turkiye
Recognition: Bronze A' Design Award
Edition: 2025 - 2026
Design ID: #176866

Credits

Image Credits: Photographer / Interior Photographer Burak Teoman, Elysia - Ciftci Towers Wellness Interior, 2025.

Design Details

Unique Properties: Structured in four distinct parts, the project unfolds from the entrance through uninterrupted layers of lines that define its primary guiding geometry, while occasional circular forms soften the contours. Tailored lighting scenarios combine with fine mineral-plaster walls to establish a genuine retreat atmosphere. Reflections of tropical greenery on water, the warmth of wood, and stone-look porcelain enriched with deep hues integrate with biophilic principles and moisture resistant technologies, transforming spa, pool, and fitness zones into a unified sensory experience.
Inspiration: Inspired by Istanbul’s multilayered history and the fluid rhythm of the Bosphorus, interior architect Esra Basmaz conceived Elysia as a tranquil urban refuge. This stratification is conveyed through the varying depths of ceilings and walls. In circulation areas, preserved ceiling heights gain a second layer of floating wooden slats that extend linear textures overhead while turning concealed light into a quiet flow. This composition reinforces the sense of spatial retreat; Elysia stands as an architectural expression of an inner journey shaped by serene material language and timeless, measured elegance.
Research: This project is based on qualitative design research to create a luxurious, comfort driven wellness experience within an urban residence. The study combined biophilic and wellness design literature, site analyses of premium spa facilities, and acoustic–material performance tests. Insights from spa and fitness professionals refined functional needs. Findings led to Slip resistant porcelain, moisture resistant decorative plaster and paint for humidity and sound control, acoustic baffle ceilings, and lighting automation. The research delivers a setting where residential luxury, comfort, and well being converge, enriching both interior architecture and daily urban life.
Challenge: The main creative challenge was to transform a dense urban high-rise core into a serene, luxurious wellness retreat. The existing plan connected primary spaces through corridors totaling 64 meters, making them feel fragmented and lacking the intimate atmosphere essential for a spa. Turning this constraint into an asset, the corridors were reimagined with rhythmic wooden slats, raw textures, deep hues, and dim lighting; accompanied by soft music, they now create a mystical journey and provide secluded calm and quiet luxury.
Realization and Technology: Every material and construction detail in Elysia was conceived as part of a holistic architectural narrative. Large format porcelain tiles on floors and selected walls offer quiet elegance with advanced slip resistance that ensures hygiene and safety in wet zones. Untiled walls are finished with mineral plaster chosen for long-term moisture resistance and acoustic softness, providing a gentle counterpoint to porcelain. Acoustic baffle ceilings and precise lighting automation sculpt light and sound over time, enriching a serene and luxurious spatial experience.
Operation and Interaction: Guests step from a quiet reception into corridors that feel like softly layered passages of time, where custom wooden slats cast gentle shadows and create depth. Boutique wayfinding signs, designed as architectural jewels, guide movement almost imperceptibly. Along the path, raw textured plaster walls embrace visitors with a sense of refuge and calm, while acoustic surfaces and responsive lighting shape mood and pace. From spa to fitness to pools, the journey unfolds as a harmonious architectural promenade of serenity.
Project Duration and Location: The project started in June 2024 and finished in June 2025 in Istanbul, Turkiye
Specifications: Elysia unfolds across 1,275 m2 total construction area, where 1,010 m2 of refined interior wellness space is complemented by 265 m2 of semi-open terraces and garden zones. Key program elements include a 12 m x5 m indoor pool (140 m2 net) and a 25.2 m × 12.2 m outdoor pool, 110 m2 fitness, 57 m2 pilates, 20 m2 massage, 70 m2 women’s and 70 m2 men’s spa, and a 44 m2 winter garden. Ceiling heights vary between 3.2 m and 4.5 m, calibrated for natural ventilation, acoustic balance, and adaptive lighting automation.
Keywords: luxury design, luxury spa design, residential wellness, luxury interior architecture, biophilic design, spa and fitness, concept design interior, interior design ideas, esra basmaz icmimarlik, esrabasmaz interior design studio