Cultural Centre of the Galata Greek School

The Greek School of Galata, once one of the most important educational institutions of the Greek community of Constantinople, is a significant building dating to the early 20th century in the Galata district. In recent years, the building had been used informally as a venue for exhibitions and cultural events. At the decision of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, following a request from the Vakif, it was resolved to restore the building and convert it into a modern cultural centre that would promote Greek culture and tradition and host events such as exhibitions, making use of its multi-purpose spaces equipped with contemporary facilities.
Within this framework, the Athanasios and Marina Martinou Foundation undertook the funding of both the study and the construction of the project. The restored building includes a 400-seat multipurpose hall, exhibition spaces on the upper floors, a library, the archive of the Galata School, classrooms for Greek language instruction, a café on the ground floor, and a new restaurant on the roof terrace.
The conversion into a cultural centre and the addition of the rooftop restaurant required the removal and reconstruction of the roof, as well as the structural and seismic reinforcement of the building, alongside the creation of new mechanical and electrical facilities in newly constructed underground spaces through underpinning of the structure.

The permit for the change of use, the restoration of the building, and the replacement of the roof to accommodate the restaurant required approvals from the Council of Antiquities, the Municipality of Beyoğlu (Pera), the Fire Department, and the electricity authority for the increase of the available power supply.

Donation by the Athanasios and Marina Martinou Foundation (IAMM)

• Restoration and renovation of the Galata Urban School building.