One of Quark’s most recent projects, our studio was tasked with creating a bold interior scheme for an immersive Turkish architectural and culinary experience on the banks of the Dijlah River in Baghdad. Our restaurant design is inspired by the rich diversity of both historic Ottoman and contemporary Turkish design elements.

For Quark Studio, the authentic essence of this Traditional Turkish Restaurant lies at the intersection of three key design elements: brilliant turquoise hues, decorative tiled surfaces, and textured geometric patterns. The restaurant’s spectacular entryway features overlapping natural-tone carved wooden panels and archways that are framed by turquoise tiled columns rising out of the smooth marble flooring. Within the restaurant, lavishly decorated wall and ceiling panels layer Seljuq-inspired Ottoman designs, creating additional shadowed patterns and multidimensional textures evoking the depth–and complexity–of Anatolia’s ancient history.

The Traditional Turkish Restaurant is not only a unique architectural experience but an exceptionally adaptable venue designed to transform effortlessly between elegant dining parlors, vibrant event spaces and everything in between. Patterned metal dividers harmonize with the restaurant’s antiquated atmosphere and complement the space’s contemporary accents–including modern lighting fixtures, sleek furniture, and festive textiles–while allowing for the effortless rearrangement of the restaurant’s seating layout.

In no small part, Quark’s design for the restaurant interior was crafted to evoke the feeling of “hüzün”, a nearly untranslatable Turkish word encompassing both melancholic nostalgia and bittersweet remembrance. Through careful attention to the details of finishes and furnishings, traditional Turkish motifs and mosaics provide aesthetic continuity throughout the restaurant. Warm tones of beige and navy with accents of bright turquoise on the ceilings, walls, and columns add to the grandeur and authenticity of this splendidly immersive space.