Historic Saint Pierre Han Hosts BAU Conservatory

Saint Pierre Han, one of Istanbul's 250-year-old historic buildings, will host the Bahçeşehir University Conservatory.

The first architectural offices, the first building of the Ottoman Bank, the first jeans production, the first mustard production. Saint Pierre Han, one of the important buildings that has witnessed many firsts in Istanbul's urban history, is now opening its doors as a conservatory.

BUILT AS A RESIDENCE

Based on what architect Seda Özen Bilgili, who worked on the Saint Pierre Han BAU Conservatory project, has shared, let us take a brief look at the history of the building:

Located on Eski Banka Sokak, one of the streets parallel to Bankalar Caddesi in today's Istanbul, Saint Pierre Han was built in 1732 as the French Trade Representation and residence. André Chénier, considered the father of French Romantic poetry, was born in this original building in 1762. After the building was damaged by fire in 1770, it was rebuilt as a masonry han.

Seda Özen Bilgili reminds us that architect Gaspare Fossati, who came to Istanbul between 1838 and 1845 to build the Russian Embassy, also built the Saint Pierre Church (the last one still standing), to which Saint Pierre Han is attached, in 1841, before beginning the restoration of Hagia Sophia (1847-49).

NOW AN ART CAMPUS

In the coming period, we will see Saint Pierre Han, transformed into a conservatory by Bahçeşehir University, as one of Istanbul's active cultural venues.