OT Kafe Çanakkale: Café Interior Design
OT magazine, published since 2013, puts humour and literature at its heart. The same year, the magazine opened a small table in Galata where writers would drop by and sit. OT Kafe was born in 2014, and we created the franchise brand's first concept and its spatial café interior design identity.
We turned the magazine's distinctive language, culture and down-to-earth spirit into an architectural experience, creating a warm, original meeting place for readers, writers and friends. We placed the idea of "Maksat Muhabbet Olsun" (it's all about good conversation) at the heart of the space, carrying the dialogue OT builds on its pages into everyday life.
A Reinterpretation with a Black Floor and Iconic Details
OT Kafe Çanakkale opened in 2017 at 17 Burda Mall. In 2024, the brand's 10th year, it became the first branch to adopt the yellow-striped identity. In 2026 it moved to the Gastroport Life Centre and became the first branch where the idea of the "New OT" was born; the second was Elazığ. It has thus become the latest interpretation of this long-standing identity, reborn with a contemporary approach to café design. Yellow diagonal stripes on a black floor and iconic round wall lights nod to earlier OT branches, carrying this familiar visual world into the new design.
At the centre of the story is a curtain. Revealed between two curtains, OT creates a stage effect that stretches from past to present and symbolises the brand's rebirth. Familiar visual codes are reinterpreted with new materials and details, creating an atmosphere that meets today's expectations of a contemporary, high-quality space.
A Meeting Place Rooted in Çanakkale
In this café interior design, we also took into account Çanakkale's own social fabric, planning the space to appeal both to local residents and to OT's long-standing readership. The result is a space that preserves the brand's strong identity while fitting the spirit of Çanakkale.
In the interior layout, we took care to preserve OT's humorous yet warm voice, so visitors can feel in the space the same warmth they feel when reading the magazine. The curtain motif recurs from different angles, adding both visual continuity and dramatic depth. These details set OT Kafe Çanakkale apart from an ordinary café experience and make it an original space that keeps the brand's story alive.
The roots of this design language go back to the first OT Kafe concept, which was Highly Commended in the Leisure Interior Turkey category at the 2015–2016 European Property Awards.
At CO Mimarlık, we designed a contemporary meeting place that preserves OT's strong identity while meeting the brand's current needs. This approach also reflects the original design thinking we apply in our other restaurant and café projects as well. In café projects, too, we follow the analysis sequence of our restaurant interior design approach.
Design: CO Mimarlık
Brand: OT Kafe
Photography: Barkın Güngören
