Istanbul Congress Center has opened

19.10.2009

Istanbul Congress Center officially opened its doors on September 17 as the largest convention and culture center in Turkey.

The center will primarily host approximately 20.000 people during the 2009 Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). A massive state-of-the-art edifice constructed on 19.000 square meters, Istanbul Congress Center will host momentous events and organizations on a national and international level. The most significant feature of the structure is it was constructed mainly underground consisting of 7 subterranean stories and 5 stories above ground level. In order to isolate the site from traffic and to provide a better utilization, an underground tunnel intended for cars and similar vehicles was constructed with a length of 485 meters. Several multipurpose exhibition areas were built above the tunnel, which will only be connected to a service road to be used in case of emergency. The congress center embodies several multipurpose halls as well as an open air theatre and Muhsin Ertuğrul Stage, which was demolished and reconstructed in a more modern way during the construction course of the center. Designed as a 5-storey facility with a total spectator capacity of 600, Muhsin Ertuğrul Theatre has a cafeteria, a library, foyer (entrance hall) and comfortable green rooms. This renovation emphasizes that the nature of Harbiye Open Air Theatre has been preserved and a new concept of “square opening out to sea” has been created in line with a modern arts and culture center. The green area between the square encircling Muhsin Ertuğrul Theatre and the square to be created within this scope in front of the Open Air Theatre will be conserved. The center is equipped with advanced technology including simultaneous interpreter booths and live broadcast rooms as well as an auditorium with a capacity to hold 3500 people and 5 additional halls with spaces varying between 500 and 1300 square meters. For the upcoming IMF annual meeting, 1.000 offices (20 m² each) have been set up in the center. Moreover, the center will enjoy a car park with a capacity for 850 vehicles.