Interview with Ilkay Ala Sirkeci
Design Legend Interview
4 October 2026
I graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at Dokuz Eylül University in 2002 and completed the Design Culture and Management programme jointly run by Istanbul Bilgi University and Domus Academy in 2008.
I am motivated by the opportunity to transform spaces into meaningful experiences and improve the way users live.
It was a conscious choice shaped by my interest.
We design residential, office, retail and hospitality spaces. I especially enjoy projects where architecture, interiors, landscape and custom details can be considered as one whole.
Observe carefully and never stop questioning your own decisions.
A great designer understands not only aesthetics, but also context, people, function, construction and experience.
A good design feels natural and effortless. Proportion, light, material and detail should work together without unnecessary gestures.
Good design improves everyday life and creates lasting value. A well-designed space should continue to feel good for many years.
I would design a retreat closely connected to nature, for people who value simplicity, quality, and a slower, more considered way of living.
A holistic project immersed in nature, where architecture, interiors, landscape, art, and bespoke elements are conceived together from the very beginning.
Consistency. The same care given to the first concept should continue through to the final construction detail.
I am inspired by architects and designers who create timeless work through clarity, material honesty and strong spatial thinking.
I admire projects that appear simple at first but reveal depth through proportion, light, material.
Kemercountry is particularly meaningful to me because the project transformed an existing house into a calm, nature-connected family home while preserving an understated and timeless character.
Stay curious, observe carefully, broaden your spatial experiences, and build a strong visual library of design references.
I would probably have chosen another creative field connected to art, culture.
Design is the creation of meaningful relationships between users, space, function, material and everyday rituals.
My family, my team, our clients and the many architects, engineers and craftspeople I have collaborated with have all shaped my journey.
Experience, curiosity, interdisciplinary thinking and being closely involved in every stage from concept to implementation.
One of the constant challenges is finding the right balance between creative ambition and the technical, financial and practical realities of construction.
With clarity and honesty. The presentation should communicate the idea and atmosphere.
We will continue developing refined residential and interior projects focused on timelessness, material quality and the relationship between people and space.
To create spaces that age well and continue to feel meaningful to the users who live in them.
Consistency, originality, responsibility and an uncompromising attention to detail.
Design improves everyday life and contributes to people’s well-being by creating spaces that feel functional, comfortable and meaningful.
I am currently especially interested in residential projects
Kemercountry and Seba Royal are especially satisfying because both were shaped very closely around the lives and personalities of their users rather than around temporary trends.
I would like to see less emphasis on short-lived visual trends and more attention to longevity, craftsmanship, quality.
Technology will become more important, but design should not lose its human side.
It depends on the scale and complexity. I do not believe good design should be rushed; each project needs enough time for its details to mature.
I begin with the user. Understanding their habits, needs, character and relationship with the existing space defines the direction of the project.
Design with restraint, resolve every detail and create for the long term.
They influence each other, but lasting design should never depend entirely on trends.
Technology allows us to explore, coordinate and communicate ideas more precisely, but it should remain a tool rather than become the design itself.
Our studio uses architectural drawing, modelling, visualization and presentation tools throughout the design and implementation process, while also incorporating AI into the early conceptual stages to explore and develop ideas.
They define the emotional character of a space. Natural light, material texture and restrained color palettes are particularly important in creating calm and lasting interiors.
I would like people to ask why a space feels the way it does, rather than only asking how it looks.
I try to understand what makes it feel inevitable: why its details seem to belong together naturally.
Yes. My ideal collaborator is someone who is confident in their own discipline but open to dialogue.
Clients have had a significant influence because understanding different ways of living continuously changes how I think about space.
Rather than one particular book, architecture, art, design culture and philosophy together have shaped my way of thinking.
Through education, more than two decades of practice and staying closely involved in both design and construction.
I would enjoy meeting architects and artists who created timeless work while resisting the dominant trends of their own period.
Recognition is valuable because it allows a project to communicate beyond its own context.
I am drawn to natural and neutral tones, places strongly connected to nature, Mediterranean food, autumn and objects defined by craftsmanship rather than branding.
Sometimes the details that require the longest discussions during construction become the least noticeable once completed.
Seeing a detail on site work exactly as imagined is one of the most satisfying moments of the profession.
Perhaps not obvious, but I was always sensitive to spaces, objects, proportions and visual details.
I am not trying to imagine the technology of that time, but I believe the fundamental human desire for belonging, comfort and connection with nature will remain.
At İlkay Ala Mimarlık, we do not design spaces only by how they look, but by how they make people feel. Our aim is to create calm, thoughtful and timeless environments shaped around their users, context and everyday lives.
Designer Interview
4 October 2026
I graduated from Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Architecture in 2002 and later completed the Design Culture and Management programme by Istanbul Bilgi University and Domus Academy. I have always been interested in how spaces shape the way we live and feel, and architecture became a natural way for me to explore that relationship.
I founded İlkay Ala Architecture in 2016. Today, we work as a multidisciplinary team in Istanbul, developing architecture and interior projects from the initial concept to the finest implementation detail.
Design is creating meaningful relationships between users, space, function, material and emotion.
I particularly enjoy residential projects because they allow us to understand people closely and translate their habits.
Kemercountry project is very special to me. In a metropolis like Istanbul, its rare connection with nature gives the project a unique sense of calm, strengthened by natural light, simplicity, functionality and a timeless atmosphere.
My early professional work included interiors, showrooms, shops and workplaces. These projects taught me very early that design must respond equally well to identity, function and real-life use.
I am drawn to natural materials such as wood and stone for their warmth, texture and timeless character, while technology is a valuable tool for exploring and refining design ideas.
When I have had enough time to observe, absorb and understand a project before trying to solve it.
I focus on the user, spatial flow, proportion, natural light, materiality and how all these elements contribute to the overall experience.
Curiosity and excitement, but also a strong sense of responsibility. Every project is a process of discovery.
Seeing an idea become a real space is deeply satisfying, especially when users begin to live with it.
Design is complex to be defined by a single quality. A successful design emerges from the balance of function, context, proportion, material, user experience and emotion, while remaining relevant beyond temporary trends.
I first look at whether there is a clear idea behind it and whether form, function, proportion, material and context support that idea consistently.
A designer should create spaces that improve well-being, use resources responsibly and remain valuable for as long as possible.
Design is becoming more personalized, interdisciplinary and technology-supported, while the need for authentic and human-centred spaces will become even stronger.
My practice is primarily focused on architecture and built projects rather than exhibitions. I prefer to communicate ideas through spaces that people can actually experience.
Inspiration comes from observation: architecture, art, nature, travel, materials and everyday life. I believe in continuously enriching my visual and spatial memory.
I prefer not to define my work through a fixed style. I aim for timeless, calm and refined spaces shaped around their users.
I live and work in Istanbul, a city where different periods, cultures and ways of living constantly overlap. This richness naturally develops sensitivity toward material, craftsmanship, history and context.
I see collaboration as a dialogue. We first understand the brand, its values and its users, and then translate these into a coherent spatial identity.
They should look beyond visual style and choose a designer whose way of thinking.
We begin by understanding the user, context and programme. We then develop the concept, spatial organization, materials and details together, and remain closely involved throughout implementation.
A chair, a well-designed light, a piece of art, a beautifully crafted table and an object with personal meaning.
My days usually move between the studio, project meetings, material research and construction sites. I enjoy this balance between conceptual thinking and seeing how ideas are actually built.
Stay curious, observe carefully, experience as many spaces as possible.
The greatest reward is turning an idea into something people can experience every day. The challenge is that good design requires constant attention, patience and responsibility from beginning to end.
Nothing should be there without a reason.
Observation, curiosity, empathy, spatial thinking, technical knowledge and the ability to communicate and collaborate.
We use architectural drawing, modelling, visualization and presentation tools throughout the process. We also use AI during the conceptual stages to explore ideas and possibilities, alongside books, travel, art, material research and observation.
By establishing clear priorities and making decisions at the right stage.
There is no fixed duration. Whether it is an object or an interior, I prefer to give the design enough time to mature rather than forcing a premature solution.
Probably, “How did you decide on this?” For me, every decision should have a reason related to the user, space or overall concept.
Rather than one single experience, being involved in both design and implementation has shaped me the most.
Our work is largely for private residential clients, alongside office, retail, showroom and hospitality projects. Privacy is especially important in our residential practice.
I enjoy residential design the most because it is deeply personal.
I want to continue developing projects that bring architecture, interiors, landscape and bespoke design together.
Design is always collaborative. I lead the design direction, but every project develops through dialogue within our team and with consultants, craftspeople and clients.
We are continuing to work on residential projects where architecture, interiors, custom details and landscape are considered together.
They can reach our studio through ilkay@ilkayala.com or through our official website and Instagram account.
I believe good design is not about creating an image; it is about creating an experience. The spaces we remember are usually the ones that make us feel something, often without us immediately knowing why.