Press Release
A' Design Award in Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design Goes to Kaleici Courtyard Hospitality Space by Nilgun Kucukbicak
Nilgun Kucukbicak of Motto Architecture recognized for hospitality, recreation, travel and tourism design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 21, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the A' Design Award in the Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design category for Kaleici Courtyard Hospitality Space by Nilgun Kucukbicak of Motto Architecture, designed for Motto Mimarlik. The result belongs to 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 evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the A' Design Award
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
About Kaleici Courtyard Hospitality Space
Kaleici Courtyard is a hotel courtyard located next to Hadrian Gate in Antalya, Turkey. The courtyard covers about 800 square meters and serves as a social and climatic space. Arched openings, a modular pergola of about 150 square meters, and a central water feature of about 40 square meters guide movement and provide shade. Hexagonal natural stone flooring, white mineral plaster surfaces, and black forged metal railings recall historical proportions. Planting zones and passive shading temper the climate and support gathering.
About Nilgun Kucukbicak
Established eight years ago, Motto Architecture was founded on a singular belief: architecture is not just about building structures - it’s about building vision. Since then, we have grown into a multidisciplinary studio with a global footprint, serving as design and consultancy partner to numerous renowned hotels and international brands. We operate with a fully integrated approach, offering architectural design, interior design, structural engineering, electrical, and mechanical systems - all developed in-house. This enables complete creative and technical control across every stage of a project, from concept to execution.
About Motto Architecture
Motto Architecture is a project office led by Nilgün and Ömür Caner Küçükbıçak, specializing in the design and execution of five-star hotels on an international scale.
Award Record
With this recognition, Nilgun Kucukbicak of Motto Architecture is a winner of 3 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted between the 2024 - 2025 and the 2025 - 2026 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design Award
The A' Hospitality Design Award is an international hospitality design competition recognizing good hospitality designs by best hospitality designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to hospitality designers, architects, hospitality brands and hotel chains from all countries. Typical entries include hotels, restaurants, resorts, cafes, bars and cruise ships. The awarded hospitality designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/hospitality
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/182407
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/182407
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!182407
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/371302
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://mottomim.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
- Kaleici Courtyard Hospitality Space
- Function
- Hospitality Space
- Category
- Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design
- Discipline
- Service Design
- Industry
- Food & Hospitality and Sports
- Colors
- Light Steel Blue, Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Dark Olive Green and Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Motto Mimarlik
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Nilgun Kucukbicak
- Country
- Turkiye
- Brand
- Motto Architecture
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #182407
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Kaleici Courtyard Project reinterprets a historic hotel courtyard adjacent to Hadrian Gate, transforming it into a contemporary social and climatic hub. Arched rhythms, modular pergola, and organic water features reference the historical threshold, while hexagonal stone flooring, metal details, and minimalist interventions balance heritage with modern spatial continuity.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by Hadrian Gate’s historical triple arch and threshold concept, the project examines transitions from public streets to private inner courtyards. The design abstracts historical proportions, light-shadow relations, and rhythmic stone patterns to create a contemporary courtyard experience.
- Research
- The project investigates how historical courtyard thresholds can be reinterpreted in contemporary hospitality architecture. By analyzing spatial hierarchy, light-shadow interplay, and material layering, it demonstrates a method to integrate historical reference, climatic performance, and social functionality.
- Challenge
- he main challenge was balancing historical authenticity with contemporary design. Maintaining visual continuity with Hadrian Gate while introducing modern materials and passive climate strategies required precise proportioning, modular detailing, and careful intervention to avoid visual mimicry.
- Realization and Technology
- The project features reinforced concrete and masonry structures for the courtyard and surrounding hotel areas, natural stone flooring with hexagonal modules, white mineral plaster surfaces, black forged metal railings, semi-permeable pergola systems, organic water features, integrated planting zones, custom linear and decorative lighting, passive shading strategies, and HVAC for surrounding indoor spaces. All metal elements fabricated with CNC cutting and precision welding; stonework aligned modularly to preserve historical rhythm.
- Operation and Interaction
- Visitors experience a controlled threshold from the street to the semi-private courtyard. Arched openings, pergola shadows, and textured flooring guide movement. Water feature and planting zones create visual and climatic layers, encouraging social interaction while referencing historical patterns.
- Project Duration and Location
- Designed in Antalya, Turkey
- Specifications
- The courtyard covers an estimated area of 800 square meters, with modular arched zones defining circulation and hierarchy. Pergola spans 150 square meters over main gathering areas. Water feature occupies approximately 40 square meters in the central axis. Height variations range from 3.0 m at pedestrian thresholds to 4.5 m under pergola. The courtyard is integrated with surrounding hotel blocks and heritage facades, maintaining visual connectivity with Hadrian Gate.
- Keywords
- Historical Continuity, Courtyard Design, Hotel Interior, Pergola, Hexagonal Stone, Water Feature, Social Hub, Heritage Dialogue, Passive Cooling, Contemporary Intervention
