Büyukada is the largest of Istanbul’s Princes’ Islands a car-free enclave of 19th-century Ottoman and European villas, a short ferry ride from the city. The Splendid Palas Hotel has stood at its heart since 1908. Noor oversaw a phased restoration spanning nearly a decade with an uncompromising brief: return the hotel to the standard its architecture demands. Herringbone parquet floors were restored plank by plank. Ornate plasterwork cornices were repaired by specialist craftspeople from Istanbul. The ballroom’s chandelier which had not moved since the hotel’s opening year stayed exactly where it was. New interventions were designed to be invisible: furniture scaled to room proportions, fabrics chosen for weight and texture, lighting that respects the natural light the building was built around. The result is a hotel that remembers everything, and feels entirely alive.