Swissotel Buyuk Efes Izmir - Luxury hotel - Art Collection

In 1964, the Büyük Efes Hotel opened its doors as one of the first 5-star hotels in Turkey. The waterfront luxury hotel, which in 2008 became Swissôtel Büyük Efes Izmir, is proud to display a huge permanent collection of major artworks, partly dating from the original Büyük Efes period and partly belonging to the hotel’s current owners, MV Holdings.

You can admire pieces from this important collection of modern and contemporary works by Turkish and international artists both in our vast, lush gardens and displayed in the hotel itself. Here are just a few of the highlights:

– One of world-renowned Colombian artist Fernando Botero’s famously rotund figures greets guests as they arrive: his “Man on Horse” outside the entrance is one of the only Botero sculptures on display in Turkey.

– Also in the garden, you’ll find Italian sculptress Rabarama’s poignant crouching figure in Carrera marble, “Guillotine”, and a cubist iron sculpture of a shoulder-standing man by acclaimed British sculptor Antony Gormley.

– A host of evocative works welcome you to our soaring atrium lobby. Among them are Şadi Çalık’s remarkable replica of the statue of Artemis, a symbol of abundance, from the goddess’s namesake temple at the ancient city of Ephesus, and a bronze by Lorenzo Quinn depicting two clasped hands – a powerful symbol of trust and welcome.

– The Swissôtel Büyük Efes Izmir art collection includes a wealth of vibrant large-scale ceramic works by Turkish artists. You can admire a circular mosaic in vivid turquoise and green hues by Attila Galatalı as you dine at our Café Swiss restaurant. Jale Yılmabaşar’s “Anatolian Civilization” in dramatic blues and oranges is on display in the Convention Center, as is a striking ceramic wall by Erdoğan Ersen depicting primitive figures.

– In our rooms and suites, as well as in the public areas, you’ll find Devri̇m Erbi̇l’s distinctive pointillist abstract works, evoking the beauty of the Aegean coast and perfectly complementing the décor.

We host regular guided tours through our collection, and we invite you to share in our love for these and many more remarkable works during your stay at our living art gallery, Swissôtel Büyük Efes Izmir.