CO-FOUNDER İPEK KORAY

Born in Istanbul, Ipek Koray spent her childhood and early youth in the cosmopolitan Cihangir district of Beyoglu. After graduating from Maçka Elementary and Saint-Benoit French High Schools, she entered the academy of her dreams: Mimar Sinan University, the Faculty of Architecture. Emphasizing the significant impact of those five years, full of architecture and art, on her professional formation, she says:

“Our Academy in Fındıklı was an excellent source of inspiration. As we were running between architectural workshops and courses, we rubbed shoulderswith almost all branches of art including painting, sculpture, textiles, photography and ceramics. Such interaction and exchange of information shaped our lives and instilled us with art.”

Between the years 1986 and 1990, Ipek Koray worked for the interior design veterans, Abdurrahman Hancı & Yalçın Çıkınoğlu’ s MİMAT Architectural Atelier. She fondly cites these years as her years of apprenticeship, learning, and development, becoming skilled at transitions between projects and applications, meticulousness and professionalism; and, extends her everlasting gratitude to late Messieurs Hanci and Cikinoglu.

In early 1990s, with her partners, Ipek Koray founded Grup Tasarım Mimarlık and for 20 years they generated an impressive body of design works.

In 2010, Ipek Koray founded her own architectural office under the name Ipek Koray Design; and, continues working there with her young, talented and creative team.

Stressing that she cannot imagine a life without architecture, Ipek Koray aims to continue creating notable architectural projects by combining her knowledge, confidence and experience with her passion and exhilaration for architecture.