SantralIstanbul

Hikayemiz

The SantralIstanbul, opened in 2007, is an arts and cultural complex located at the upper end of Golden Horn in the Eyüp district of Istanbul, Turkey. The center, consisting of an energy museum, an amphitheater, concert halls and a public library, is situated within the Silahtarağa campus of Istanbul Bilgi University that was formerly the first power station of the Ottoman Empire. Arts, cultural, educational and social buildings of SantralIstanbul, having an area of 118,000 m², are all housed in the facilities of the former Silahtarağa Power Station, which served from 1914 to 1983 for supplying Istanbul with electric power. The site is named after the Turkish word "santral" for power plant.Redevelopment projectThe redevelopment plan was an idea of Oğuz Özerden, a young businessman and founder of Istanbul Bilgi University. He succeeded to persuade Erdoğan's government, and finally obtained the rights from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources to establish and administer a cultural complex and its third campus on the site of the former power plant. The related protocol foreseeing the transfer for a 20-years term was signed on May 1, 2004 at the Khedive Palace in Istanbul.