Casa Botter Library

Known as Istanbul’s first Art Nouveau building, the Botter Apartment regained its former splendor in 2021 thanks to a comprehensive restoration carried out by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB). Reintroduced to the city’s cultural life under the name “Casa Botter Art and Design Center,” the building once again became a vibrant part of Istanbul’s artistic scene.

Hosting various events and gatherings, Casa Botter has welcomed art enthusiasts with a range of remarkable exhibitions since its reopening.

Located within this special building, the Casa Botter Library occupies an area of 201 square meters, houses a collection of approximately 1,500 books from diverse disciplines, and can accommodate up to 40 visitors. The library stands out by providing spaces for both individual and collaborative work, representing one of Istanbul’s unique examples of the “flexible working environment” model commonly found around the world.

Although the library does not offer lending services, readers who wish to become members can register by presenting an official identity document—such as a Turkish ID card, driver’s license, or passport—at any of the İBB libraries. Membership can also be created easily through the e-Government (e-Devlet) platform or the İstanbul Senin mobile app’s İBB Library mini application.

Users who wish to register via e-Devlet can visit turkiye.gov.tr, search for “İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kütüphane” (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Library), and select the “Municipal Libraries Membership Information Inquiry and Application” link. After completing the required fields and clicking “Apply,” they can finalize their registration and access all İBB Library services using the password sent to them via SMS or email.

History of the Botter Apartment

Built in 1901 during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II, the structure was commissioned for Maison Jean Botter, a Dutch tailor and fashion designer serving the Ottoman Palace. It was designed by Raimondo D’Aronco, an Italian architect who lived in Istanbul between 1893 and 1909 and was responsible for many significant buildings of the era.

The building originally housed a fashion house on the ground floor, an atelier on the first floor, along with a terrace floor and a basement, while the upper floors served as the Botter family’s residence. Casa Botter is recognized as the first building in the Ottoman Empire used as a fashion house.

For many years, the Botter Fashion House designed garments for members of the Ottoman Palace and nobility. However, following the Balkan Wars and World War I, public interest declined. Consequently, in 1917, the Botter family sold the apartment to Mahmut Nedim Bey, son of Ottoman vizier Nedim Pasha, and moved to Paris.