Located on the Riva coastline in the north of Istanbul, ION is conceived as a new-generation living model that redefines the relationship between people and nature. Developed across an approximately 840,000 m² site, the project brings together residential typologies of varying scales, public spaces, and experience-led environments. Comprising a total of 830 residences for sale and 103 rental units, the development offers a low-density living model shaped in harmony with the natural topography.
The project has been shaped through the combined contributions of internationally recognised architectural practices such as BIG, MVRDV, and Snøhetta, alongside the collaborative work of multiple teams and areas of expertise. This structure positions ION not only as a physical development, but as a large-scale environment where diverse design approaches converge.
As FF Creative Space, we accompanied this multi-layered production process by contributing to the development of content systems that documented, interpreted, and brought together the design, construction, and experiential phases of the project within a collaborative framework. The process films and digital content produced not only made the project’s evolution visible, but also supported the formation of a shared understanding among collaborating teams, strengthened project culture, and contributed to the emergence of its first sense of community.
At FF Creative Space, we approach multi-layered projects such as ION not only through their completed outcomes, but through the thinking systems, decision-making processes, and development dynamics behind them. Our design approach turns complex, large-scale projects into clear and engaging narratives.
ION’s architectural and landscape decisions, its relationship with the topography, and its diverse residential typologies and living scenarios were considered not merely as physical features, but as integral parts of the project’s wider vision. In this context, content production aimed not simply to show the buildings, but to make visible the systems and ideas that give them meaning.
The residential units within the project vary in scale and typology, offering a range of living scenarios to different users. Spread across approximately 269,000 m² of built area, the development has been organised through density and planning decisions that establish a balanced relationship with nature.
Within this multi-layered structure, developed through the contributions of offices such as BIG, MVRDV, and Snøhetta, one of our key priorities was to make diverse design approaches legible through a shared language. Our expertise lies in creating content structures that reveal the thinking systems, design decisions, and development dynamics behind large-scale projects. Through interviews conducted with project partners, architects, design directors, and specialist teams, we built a strong content foundation that communicated decision-making processes and design vision directly from the source.
Through an approach shaped by cinematography, interviews, process documentation, and experience-led content, ION became visible not only as a residential and lifestyle development, but as a considered, evolving, and collaboratively produced design process.
This process was approached not merely as an aesthetic production practice, but as a holistic field of communication and narrative development focused on the essence of the project and on creating meaningful connections between its different phases.
Across the various stages of the project, layers such as residential life, design processes, events, and on-site production were documented and interpreted through experience-led digital content developed to high production standards. Shaped through a cinematographic lens, this approach sought to reveal not only the project’s physical scale, but also its way of life, atmosphere, and future-facing vision.
Interviews, project meetings, user experiences, and conversations with stakeholders were transformed into a comprehensive content system that made this multi-dimensional structure more legible. In this context, more than 30 interviews were conducted, creating a strong content foundation that communicates the different layers of the project directly from the source.
Our dynamic production strategy, shaped according to evolving needs, established a flexible and multidisciplinary organisational structure through productions and event coverage carried out across 6 cities in 6 countries (Istanbul, Barcelona, London, Oslo, Cannes, and Rotterdam).
The content produced was designed to communicate the project’s purpose, scale, and living concept across a range of uses, from sales processes to brand communication. This included project films, event films, sales materials, presentation content, social media productions, photography, site documentation, documentary content, and process films.
This approach supports the positioning of ION not only as a physical development, but as a strong brand structure that evolves over time, deepens in meaning, and builds its own lasting memory.