Toner Architects

A Story of
Architecture
Through
Three
Generations

Toner, a firm on the Turkish architectural scene for three generations, was built from the ground up by Prof. Süha Toner, who has made many academic and private practice contributions to the nation’s architectural landscape. Prof. Toner was a leading academic figure as the founding President of the Yıldız Technical University, formerly known as the Istanbul Academy of Engineering and Architecture. He was also a founding member of one of Turkey’s first large architectural firms, IMA, together with Abdurrahman Hancı, Turgut Övünç and Affan Kırımlı.

Toner continued its legacy with the second generation. Mustafa Toner, empowered with his father’s business etiquette, brought contemporary knowledge and technical expertise to the firm, and cultivated many long lasting business collaborations, many of which still stand strong today. Mustafa Toner, who had his earliest experience in architecture while scratching drafting ink from tracing paper in his father’s office, began his life as an independent architect upon graduation from the Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts (now Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University). His early contributions to architecture involve multiple large-scale local and international projects including headquarters of multi-national firms, private residences. Mustafa Toner continues to provide concept development, architectural design and project drafting and implementation services to an ever-growing clientele at his architectural practice ‘Toner’.

Toner, cognizant of the delicate balance of time, budget and aesthetics required for successful implementation of projects, has entered a new era in 2011 with the addition of the third generation. Emre Toner joined Toner after completing his education in economics at Tufts University and interior design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Mustafa Toner and his son Emre Toner have focused their creative energies to mold existing collaborations to new projects using professional, technical and social experience and provide a deeply rooted knowledge for cultivating new collaborations within a tradition of architecture that has been continuing to grow for the past three generations.

Services

+ Creating a New Brand

Establishing New Urban Focus Points with Brand Empowering Design Solutions

Focusing on effective spatial environment and functional solutions in both architectural and interior design projects, Toner strives to create timeless and lasting spaces by blending the experience in architecture with the knowledge of material.

Restaurants and stores that help the architects display their talent in design to larger masses fall into the office’s area of expertise.

+ Attaining the Psychology of Dwelling

Designing and Implementing Domestic Spaces at The Intersection of Essence and Architecture

For Toner, architecture is a practice as much social as it is technical and design related in nature. Toner, adopting the idea of designing “in collaboration with” instead of “against” the client, believes that a project has no way to succeed unless the design process is open to the input of the client. This apprehension is where architecture is established as a social discipline. The project starts with “understanding the needs of the client” akin to a form of “psychoanalysis”. Toner’s stance on its clients’ style of life and their environment is most apparent in dwelling design where architectural demands are at the height of their “individuality”.

The dwelling architecture Toner creates, from the concept to pre-planning and from the design process to construction, is an example of creating by living, as well as building for living. Shaping spaces that are created for the demands, conditions and lifestyles of the age they were built in into the contemporary forms of our day, the Toner team designs long lasting spaces in which the comfort and satisfaction of the user attains the highest level of priority.

+ Redesigning the Brand

Designing Quality Spaces for Accommodating Functionality and Meeting Demands in a New Context

Toner believes that a project cannot be successful without meaningful client involvement. During the process of design and implementation, Toner strives to achieve not only what is visually appealing, but also functionally satisfying and accurate. Behind the many successful projects of the office, lies an approach to consider the user input within the complex integration of creative design solutions and functional satisfaction.

The Toner team frequently takes part in contemporary projects meant for the new customers by well-established brands, and creates spaces that strengthen brand identity via goal oriented design principles.

+ Adapting to Turkey

Reinventing Local Identities with an Understanding of the Expectations and Customs of the Consumer/User

Using the experience of working extensively with international brands, Toner creates indigenous spaces in Turkey by using local materials, and has undertaken the implementation of the projects of many prestigious firms, such as Cartier, Façonnable, Zegna, Kenzo, Marks & Spencer, Nando’s, and Castrol.

Considering dynamic parameters such as the seasonal changes in product displays, variations in the product range of the brand and the increase in sales of certain products due to the shifting trends, Toner designs versatile and flexible spaces, and continues to provide services long after the design is finalized.

Toner knows well the importance of working with the right teams, especially in projects with international connections, and merges the experience of designing with in-depth knowledge of the local environment together with the talent of global architectural firms. Toner’s willingness to find new markets, new demands and new customs provides an exchange of experience in inter-geographical situations.

+ Interpreting the Workspace

Creating Spaces That Absorb The Changing Methods and Correlations of Working, and Guide The Future of Workforce

Toner designs workspaces with the assumption that every office might grow in size and evolve in functionality. In this regard, Toner creates contemporary and innovative projects that conform to shape of new working trends.

The opportunities presented by collaborating with large firms and being able to study office projects outside of Turkey in situ, provide the team with the advantages of knowledge and experience for creating sophisticated spaces that meet the demands of contemporary workspaces and smart offices.

Today, in an age where the offices are no longer mere workspaces but also socially active living environments, Toner’s projects synthesize the client’s corporate identity and the intended functionalities of its workspace with employees’ needs and demands. The result is spaces that are both aesthetically and functionally strong and expressive.

+ Updating the Existent

Discovering The Limits of Space, Understanding New Requirements and Pushing The Envelope in Design

Toner, while updating existing structures by designing spaces fit for the goals of its clients and the demands of their customer base, and free from the biases of current trends, succeeds in integrating new additions meant to fulfill modern necessities into historic and symbolic buildings without overpowering the genuine structure.

By investigating the limits of the space, the Toner team aims to take the existing projects to a whole new level; and by acknowledging the “proper design” parameters in revisions of commercial spaces, manages to present “correct solutions” to the requirements of its clients.

+ Becoming a Solution Partner

Providing a Functionality Driven Architectural Service to Institutions with Long Lasting Collaborations

The sustainability of the success of Toner’s 30 year long active practice is closely related to its philosophy of client centric work ethics. Since Toner understands that a healthy collaboration is based on mutual satisfaction, and strives to establish dialogue and stay informed, the team applies the newly formed experiences of every project to the next collaboration. Toner maintains the collaborative nature of its practice by undertaking numerous projects for an array long standing clients.

+ Designing the Semi-Public

Guiding The Changing Direction of The Retail Industry with Constantly Evolving Spaces

The number of public projects, especially that of shopping malls, in Turkey is rapidly increasing, and Toner is involved in both practical and advisory capacity. Toner took part in many shopping mall projects both domestic and foreign, and has a long history in the shaping of the transformation of outdated and dysfunctional shopping mall structures. Tasked with problem-solving and design related matters in this transformation process, the Toner team continues to provide correct solutions to its clients’ demands by incorporating its knowledge and experience with an understanding of contemporary design methods.

Team

Çağlar Temizyürek
Coordinator
Tuğçe Gülkan
Interior Architect
Emre Karabulut
Architect
Bahadır Aliabadizade
Architect
Özlem Tosun
Interior Architect
Aslıhan Uysal
Architect
Bora Serin
CG Artist
Büşra Potur
Interior Architect
Ece Pekşen
Architect
Erdal Kavcı
Design Center Application Director
Financial Coordinator
Esra Çetiner
Interior Architect
Gizem Güngörmez
Support Personnel
Koza Batmaz
Interior Architect
Larissa Arslan
Interior Architect
Melike Gizem Kıroğlu
Architect
Nilüfer Karanfil Büyükyıldırım
Architect
Oktay Özcan
Procurement Specialist
Orkun Kara
CG Artist
Petek Saygılı
Interior Architect
Ravza Zohrap
Interior Architect
Satılmış Aydın
Office Assistant
Sibel Yücel
Accountant
Yunus Albayrak
Interior Architect