A New Vision
DownTown Bursa is the epitome of modern urban living, blending luxury, convenience and innovation in the heart of the city of Bursa. For this month’s Cover Story, RLI sits down with Ahmet Atış, CEO of Atış Group to discuss this state-of-the-art development that offers a vibrant lifestyle with its contemporary design and diverse amenities.
The idea behind the DownTown Bursa project was not just to impact a single area, but to transform the living dynamics of the entire city. Accessibility lies at the core of modern life, with speed being another crucial element. Mixed-use developments are emerging globally as concepts where people can quickly meet their social and material needs.
These opening comments from Ahmet set the tone perfectly for our time with him and it was this vision that inspired the DownTown Bursa development.
Due to its rich history and culture, the decision was made to place a museum at the heart of the project, showcasing cars, traditional clothing photographs and many works that feature symbols unique to the city.
“In creating a project that befits Bursa, a city famous for its cultural heritage and greenery, we also prioritised our landscaping areas,” comments Ahmet Atış, CEO of Atış Group. “With a policy aimed at minimising our carbon footprint, the DownTown Bursa scheme continuously develops new solutions to further reduce its environmental impact.”
In the modern climate, urban spaces are becoming more multifunctional and this project brings together all urban living needs with open-air cultural and arts events, a variety of world cuisine options from fast food to fine dining, theatres and cinemas, museums, a health centre, hotel, offices and shopping options. Work, home and social elements are blended seamlessly into the project, creating a more vibrant and dynamic experience.
Retail remains a core component of the on-site offering, but by combining shopping with entertainment, supporting culture and arts with dining and presenting it all within an exceptional architectural design, in open-air spaces and with a mix of local and international brands, elevates the retail experience at DownTown.
“We set out with the goal of creating a harmonious brand mix that caters to the diverse needs of every budget, all centred on accessible luxury. By curating renowned restaurants and high-quality consumer brands, we have developed a comprehensive and satisfying range that encompasses shopping, dining and cultural events, offering a complete and enriching experience for all,” highlights Atış.
Alongside more traditional retail, the scheme is home to a host of experiential retail activations. For example, in their distinguished patisseries, cake workshops are available; while clothing stores offer personalised product experiences and restaurants provide a blend of DJ performances, dance and artistic events. On the topic of immersive retail, the CEO explains that they are conducting R&D with the support of the software team at Atış Group, to create new experiences that engage consumer’s other senses.
Aside from retail, DownTown offers a spacious living area, centred around the country’s largest show fountain. Located at the intersection of all the major roads in the city, it also hosts the largest entertainment area for children and adults. With open-air concerts held in its square, Downtown always has something to offer for socialising and entertainment, making it a lively hub for all.
Bursa is a city known for its unique contributions to Turkish cuisine, including its special kebabs, desserts and dönor varieties and for Atış Group, dining is the most important part of the retail experience.
The integration of these serene residential areas with entertainment and lifestyle centres has transformed the city’s entertainment culture and habits within a year.”
“This is why we have given as much attention to our dining destinations as we have to our brand mix. We have dedicated significant spaces to desserts, coffee shops, fine dining, fast food, traditional cuisine, international flavours and on-the-go snacks. Unlike similar destinations, the fact that we have allocated the most space to food and entertainment areas within our rentable area makes DownTown a standout living centre,” Atış explains.
Wellness is no longer just a fast-growing global trend, it has become an essential part of the mix and within DownTown Bursa, the Meditown health office complex provides services from a wide range of medical experts. Their specialists include physiotherapists, psychological counsellors, pedagogues and many others. In addition to extensive sports and activity areas for their residents, the site offers modern fitness facilities within the complex, providing visitors with a unique health and wellness experience.
All the elements we have spoken with Ahmet about have been combined into one holistic environment at DownTown Bursa, creating a peaceful living space by offering high living standards in their residences and ensuring maximum structural integrity in Türkiye, a country prone to earthquakes.
“The integration of these serene residential areas with entertainment and lifestyle centres has transformed the city’s entertainment culture and habits within a year. Once offices are included in this space, we will demonstrate that life, home, entertainment and work can all coexist without being too far apart from one another.”
From the outset of DownTown Bursa, Atış set out with the goal of changing the city’s habits and bringing a fresh new vision to the area. Now, when Ahmet and the team look back, they can see that the city has embraced DownTown as a new, high-quality location.
“Another success has been our investment funds. From the moment we launched the real estate funds for DownTown Bursa, there has been immense interest and in just half a year, it became Türkiye’s most preferred and largest real estate investment fund. All of these achievements are a source of great pride for us as we look forward to the future of DownTown Bursa,” Atış concludes.
