A Mediterranean Spirit in the Heart of İzmir

URBANJOBS, the Istanbul-based multidisciplinary design studio known for its tactile and material-driven approach, has unveiled Esca, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant located at İstinyePark in İzmir. With 189 seats and a menu crafted by Michelin-starred chef Osman Sezener, Esca offers an immersive dining experience where cuisine, architecture, and atmosphere converge to celebrate simplicity, light, and conviviality.

Esca by URBANJOBS
Photo credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Rooted in the principles of honesty and restraint, Esca’s concept draws directly from the Mediterranean ethos of warmth and togetherness. Sezener’s seasonal, locally sourced menu finds its spatial reflection in the design’s organic material palette—stone, wood, and plaster—expressing a natural elegance that feels both contemporary and timeless.

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

The restaurant unfolds across four distinct areas: a private dining room, a two-level bar, a terrace, and an outdoor section. Guests enter through a sheltered windbreak into the main hall, where circulation flows naturally toward the central bar and beyond. Designed as a 360-degree focal point, the bar connects the various zones while encouraging social interaction.

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

URBANJOBS inherited the site in a raw, inefficient shell-and-core condition. Instead of viewing this as a limitation, the studio reconfigured the irregular layout into a cohesive plan, seamlessly integrating dining, service, and technical spaces. Attention to flooring transitions, shading, and enclosure elements conceptually blurs the boundaries between interior and exterior, ensuring comfort throughout the year.

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

The terrace serves as Esca’s heart—a semi-covered dining area that merges the openness of the outdoors with the intimacy of the interior. Moving through the restaurant, guests experience a subtle inversion: the terrace feels like an indoor salon, while the private dining room evokes the atmosphere of being outdoors. Natural light floods the space during the day, while layers of warm artificial lighting transform it into an intimate retreat at night.

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca’s colour and material palette reflects Mediterranean life and İzmir’s coastal charm—earthy tones, soft wood finishes, and stone hues create a calm, tactile environment. Custom lighting, furniture, and fixtures were designed exclusively for the project, reinforcing the restaurant’s bespoke identity. In keeping with its environmental ethos, URBANJOBS sourced materials locally, minimizing the project’s carbon footprint. Art and decorative elements are used sparingly, allowing texture, proportion, and light to take centre stage.

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

While deeply rooted in İzmir’s culture, Esca’s conceptual and spatial framework is adaptable to future contexts. For URBANJOBS, the project exemplifies how thoughtful design can elevate dining beyond function into an experience of place, emotion, and memory. More than a restaurant, Esca stands as a dialogue between food and form—a timeless expression of Mediterranean sophistication translated through Turkish craftsmanship and architectural sensitivity.

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

Esca by URBANJOBSPhoto credit: İbrahi̇m Özbunar

URBANJOBS

URBANJOBS approaches space not merely as a form, but as a holistic experience shaped by material, texture, and light, and completed through user interaction. Since its founding in 2018, URBANJOBS has been recognized with numerous national and international awards. Developing a design approach that meticulously processes sensory layers to construct atmosphere, URBANJOBS creates a unique spatial language in each project by designing every detail—from door handles to furniture.