Nusret Elgin

Born in Istanbul in 1950, Y. Nusret Elgin graduated from Istanbul Technical University’s Faculty of Architecture in 1972, following his studies at Işık High School. Between 1972 and 1994, he worked alongside his older brother Doğan Elgin on factory, residential, and heritage restoration projects; from 1994 onward, he continued his architectural practice independently. Elgin passed away in 2024.

Elgin’s interest in photography began during his university years, in parallel with his architectural education. Until 1985, he produced black-and-white prints in his own darkroom. Combining his interest in archaeology with photography, he traveled across many ancient cities in Türkiye as the apprentice of an American professional photographer, documenting archaeological structures through the lens of an architect.

A longtime resident of Burgazada, Elgin was also one of the first national swimmers of the Adalar Water Sports Club and served as a water polo referee. His sense of balanced composition, shaped by the convergence of architectural practice and athletic discipline, is equally evident in his photographs. The buildings he designed on Burgazada in the 2000s were featured in the book Adalar Binalar Mimarlar (2021).