URBANJOBS, the multidisciplinary design studio celebrated for its material-driven approach to interiors, has revealed Esca, a 189-seat Mediterranean-inspired restaurant at İstinyePark in İzmir. Situated within one of Istanbul’s most vibrant lifestyle and shopping destinations, the project embodies the city’s lively and diverse spirit. Central elements of Mediterranean culture – conviviality and the elegance of simplicity – are expressed through a spatial narrative that employs tactile raw materials such as stone and wood.
Rooted in a philosophy of simplicity and honesty, Esca invites guests to experience a menu centered around seasonal ingredients. This ethos is mirrored in the restaurant’s bespoke interiors, where an atmosphere of elegance and warmth harmonizes with the culinary journey from start to finish. Michelin-starred Head Chef Osman Sezener draws on his extensive experience to craft dishes that celebrate locality and seasonality, a vision that directly informs the restaurant’s concept. Together, the menu and space embody freshness, restraint, and a strong sense of place.
Esca unfolds across four distinct areas: a private dining room, bar seating, a terrace, and an outdoor space. Guests enter through an enclosed windbreak, which opens directly into the main hall. From there, circulation flows through the central bar — spread across two levels — before arriving at the private dining area.
The restaurant’s façade interacts with the architectural style of the mall, while the charm of İzmir – characterized by a relaxed, coastal feel – inspired the design, allowing the restaurant to stand out beyond its commercial environment. Using natural materials, creating a sense of openness, and flooding the space with light, Esca forms a strong connection with its surroundings.
Esca’s color palette takes inspiration from the welcoming spirit of Mediterranean people and the local flora, using complementary natural, earthy tones, stone hues, and warm wood shades that anchor the space. Wood and plaster finishes help soften the atmosphere and give the terrace an indoor dining room feel, while luxurious materials and refined surfaces, such as marble, enhance the dining experience.
Natural light floods the terrace throughout the day, transporting diners to the Mediterranean, while layers of additional artificial lighting are integrated into the space to add warmth and intimacy during the evening service. Custom lighting solutions are also incorporated into the bar and dining areas to emphasise various material textures and create distinctive moods at different times of day.
Throughout the project, URBANJOBS carefully sourced materials from its local network of Turkish suppliers to minimize the environmental impact of the design. For the finishing touches, URBANJOBS introduced a subtle curation of art and styling to enhance the Mediterranean ambience. Decorative elements have been kept to a minimum, allowing the materiality and spatial design to take center stage.
“Normally, we enjoy developing a brand’s identity and interiors side by side, letting each inform the other,” says Murat Dede, founder of URBANJOBS. “With Esca, the interior came first. We began by shaping an atmosphere of light, texture, and materiality and, from this, Cansu Merdamert drew out the brand identity – its color palette, logo, and even the menu design. In this way, the graphic language was born from the space itself, as though the restaurant’s character was already present in the architecture, waiting to be revealed.”
Photography by İbrahi̇m Özbunar.
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