Along the Black Sea coastline in Riva, The Drop forms part of the larger Ion Riva project – a new neighborhood organized around nature, community, and art just north of Istanbul. Named after its shape, The Drop is one of four landmark projects within the development, alongside buildings by Snøhetta and MVRDV, connecting the neighborhood to the coastline. The building begins as a linear volume that aligns with the street before curving toward the coastline, wrapping a sheltered courtyard and gradually opening toward the Black Sea with wide views of the water. Inside, the program steps down the hillside: a café at the upper arrival level connects to a terraced reading lounge and a restaurant below, with a spa carved into the hillside beneath. Mass timber frames and warm interior surfaces sit on basalt stone floors that echo the rocky shore, while a slate roof and rotated timber lamellas provide shading without blocking views. Outside, paths of stone and a corten boardwalk weave through the landscape, linking the Beach House to the beach below.
