At the Vakko Fashion Center in Istanbul, the eyecatcher is the X-shaped cambering on the surface of the glass facade. The concrete frame of a hotel that was never completed served as point of departure for this building, redesigned and constructed in just 23 months. It now consists of 2 structurally independent parts. The 2-storey structure on piloti, nearly square in plan with a hollowed out centre – the result of the alterations to the building carcass – contains the conventional office space. On the interior, a sculptural construction nearly 5 storeys high incorporates the vertical circulation and auxiliary spaces, as well as exhibition and meeting zones.