written by Interior Designer Ürün Albayrak

Pera Mackenzi is a venue designed entirely to meet the needs of the Long Beach community, combining the Seven Star Life concept of the Grand Sapphire Resort & Residences project with the sea.

There are naturally emerging demands in a rapidly developing region. It was known that one of the biggest needs of the Long Beach was entertainment places and beach management. The Beach Club and restaurant Pera Mackenzi was built at the end of the restoration and reconstruction process of a building that was started in this region and remained half-constructed.

Together with the professional team, we designed the interior and exterior to appeal to all requests, in accordance with the ideas and wishes of Koral Bozkurt, Northernland's Chairman of the Executive Board and Architect, and undertook the construction until the finish.
After entering the lobby, visitors are greeted by a gorilla at the majestic and tall entrance door and by statues of Dobermans on either side of the reception counter. By the pool, there are also two metal statues of gorillas that were made to order. This is the entryway to the restaurant's two sections: an outdoor area and an indoor area, each with distinct elevations and a welcoming table.

The open area looks out over the beach from a three-step elevation. We set up an outdoor bar to serve hot and cold drinks in the open space to lessen the service load. The onyx-bodied bar can be lighted at night from the inside. To break up the concentration of wooden tables and chairs in the area, we considered placing an inner garden there. All of the wooden tables, chairs, and lighting fixtures are entirely custom-made wickerwork. The overall beige hues of the sand and brown colors preserve the integrity of the open spaces surrounding the beach.

The transition from the open area to the closed section is smooth because the lodges are located at the same level. When creating elevations, ramps for the disabled were taken into consideration, allowing access to every area of the restaurant. On the left side of the stage is the closed section's high, heavy main entrance door. The triangle bar in the center is at ground level; the stage is opposite one of the bar's sides, and loggia (balcony) sections are opposite the other two sides at the same level as the open area. The event on the stage can be seen from everywhere in the indoor area because of its positioning in the area.

The bar's corners, which are rounded to prevent accidents in the transitions, are decorated with linear wooden details. We selected wooden materials that would appear linear to conceal the ventilation on the ceiling. By using natural tones, we decided to make the seating spaces leaning on the walls of the loggia dark green and the bar stools orange.

The balconies on the left side of the pool section, which also has a separate entrance in the back, are on the same level as the lodges and are designed for those who want to sit and watch the poolside stage. We only used a concrete wall on this poolside stage, and the rest of the space was built with steel construction. The stage, which has the most comprehensive stage equipment on the island with its enormous screen and sound system, was thoroughly studied for poolside events. A small kitchen is positioned close to the front door and serves the pool, while backstage is located on the basement floor that descends from the back of the stage. In addition to the fiber sun loungers added to the existing sunbathing spaces, three pool sections include a jacuzzi system.

All of the walkways and seating places built along the beach so that the pool bar can also serve the beach section were planned to make it possible for the service to run smoothly even in the crowd that will be present at nighttime events.

Generally speaking, the best materials were employed at every phase, every aspect was meticulously planned, and a special environment was produced as a result. I believe we have produced a contemporary setting where the moments spent are imprinted on memories. People enjoy taking in their surroundings while dining, and they want their picture taken at every turn, which makes it a more and more popular location. Despite being quite new, it has managed to establish a name for itself through both the lively nighttime activities on the Beach Club stage and the live music that is played to accompany dinners in the restaurant part.