Seyhan Özdemir Sarper

Seyhan Özdemir Sarper (Istanbul, 1975) is the co-founder and Head of Design at Autoban, and holds a degree in Architecture from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University.

Sarper undertook her undergraduate studies in Architecture at the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul, where she met and collaborated with Autoban co-founder Sefer Çağlar in their early student days.  Upon graduation from the Fine Arts Academy in 1998, Sarper proceeded to gain experience at various architecture and design firms in the city before joining forces with Çağlar once more in 2003 in order to establish their own studio.   

Following a presentation of their furniture collection at Salon Du Meuble in Paris in 2003, Sarper and Çağlar quickly gained international recognition and Autoban was singled out by Wallpaper Magazine with the Best Newcomer Award in 2004.  In the next six years, Autoban completed over 250 projects both at home and abroad, and the studio was credited with redefining the landscape of Istanbul.  Now almost two decades later, Autoban’s portfolio includes projects across hospitality, transportation, commercial, retail, office and public realm developments - as well as a signature furniture collection that is sold worldwide.  The studio’s work can be seen in cities all over Europe and Central and South-East Asia.   

Among some of the studio’s most notable recent works are the Iniala Harbour House Hotel in Malta, the Manchester Stock Exchange Hotel, the Joali Being & Maldives Resorts, the Galataport Istanbul Underground Cruise Terminal and the Heydar Aliyev International Airport terminal in Baku.  International accolades include the 2022 Red Dot Design Award for Architecture and Interior Design for the Galataport Cruise Terminal; the 2022 Restaurant Bar & Design Award for the FLOW Restaurant at Jaoli Being; the 2023 Skytrax World Airports Awards “Best Regional Airport in Central Asia/CIS” and the 2014 Red Dot Design Award and the Architizer Jury’s Special Award in the airport category for the design of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport; the 2017 International Yacht & Aviation Award in Interior Design for Aquarius (the 45m superyacht); and the 2015 Skytrax World Airports Awards “World’s Best Business Class Airport Lounge” for the Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge. 

Product and experiential designs have been showcased at major design exhibitions, installations and art events worldwide, including LDF, ICFF, Salon Del Mobile, Design Biennale Interieur Kortrijk and the London Design Biennale.  

Sarper has participated as keynote speaker and jury member at significant international institutions and  architecture & design events, including Dezeen Awards, iF Product Design Awards, APIDA - Asia Pacific Design Awards, Downtown Design Dubai, and Milan Design Week. 

Sarper and Çağlar and their studio’s expansive portfolio were also honoured with a 2014 Gestalten publication that presents a rich selection of the studio’s first ten years of work. 

https://autoban.com/#