Although the days are long gone when considerations of gender served to restrict access by women to a number of professions, you would think it unlikely that a major international hotel and entertainment chain would recruit a woman to design a chain of casinos stretching from Eastern Europe to the Caribbean. And if you allow yourself to be guided by appearance you are even less likely to believe that Hande Mutlu would be that woman.
The Turkish-born graduate of the University of Istanbul and holder of a Masters Degree in Urban Planning is a sleight, strikingly attractive woman whom, at first glance, might appear unsuited to the rigours of planning and executing the arduous task of designing entertainment complexes.
And yet it would be more than fitting to describe Hande as a veteran architect. Since graduating from University sixteen years ago she has thrown herself into designing casinos for the Princess chain……..in Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Belize, Suriname, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and currently in Guyana.
Last week amidst the hustle and bustle of multi-tasking to meet the mid-February deadline set by the Princess Hotel for the opening of Guyana’s first ever Casino, Hande found time to talk with Stabroek Business. The closeness of the deadline notwithstanding, Hande appeared unworried, taking time to show off the plans for the completed Princess Casino and discussing issues of colour and lighting with a sense of eagerness the could easily lead you to believe that this was her first big job.
Apart from assuring us that she had long put several bigger jobs behind her, Hande disclosed with an air of casualness that she was currently working simultaneously on two jobs, the second, another Casino in Santo Domingo.
A significant percentage of Turkish architects are female and Hande says that she was introduced to architecture by her mother who recognized in her the desire to pursue a career that was both challenging and fulfilling. That is not to say that initially she was not intimidated. “I wasn’t sure what architecture entailed. Now that it is my profession, however, I love it with a passion and wouldn’t trade it for the world.” The sparkle in her eyes attested to her sincerity.
Apart from the fact that her profession allows her the luxury of indulging in her love of travel, Hande says that time and again she has experienced the pleasure “of watching her designs unfold into works of art…My work in designing Casinos does not only involve designing the physical areas in which the games are played. Casinos in the Princess line are designed to provide a much broader range of entertainment that includes cinemas, swimming pools, gyms and bowling alleys. Here in Guyana, apart from the games for adults we are having two cinemas, a bowling alley and a children’s arcade. What we seek to offer here is entertainment for the entire family.”
Hande’s travels have allowed her to stay abreast of current trends in a dynamic discipline. She culls her inspiration from myriad sources including magazines, the internet, and travel. “Any small detail that catches my eye can be used as the origin of a new design. I can be walking along a street and see a flower and that alone can cause my imagination to conjure up a design.”
Perhaps surprisingly Hande says that she does not believe that one need have any particular prior training or skills in order to pursue a course of study in architecture. “As long as one has an interest in the rudiments of the subject and is prepared to study hard one can make architecture a successful career. Even if you don’t know how to draw that is taught, along with disciplines like electrical engineering during the courses.
While her own specialized training is located in the particular pursuit of renovation of historical buildings her exploits in casino design has made her a fan of post-modern design.
For Hande Guyana has been both a new cultural experience and a “different” professional challenge. She concedes that initially, she was “a bit intimidated” by the challenge of working in Guyana. “I realized that the workers here were all inexperienced in that type of work that is required to create a Casino. Constructing a Casino is quite different to building a house. It usually requires specialized skills for the laying of mosaic tiles, marble fittings, huge decorative glass panels, glass tiles, wall paper and carpeting. In order to get the desired effect one has to pay particular attention to detail. Everything has to be perfectly aligned.”
And Hande believes that she may have even imparted some skills which the work crew at the Princess Hotel may reap further benefit from during the course of their own careers. “One of my challenges was to teach them how to read the design plans. I have also taught them some specialized skills including the laying of the tiles and glass which, in the design of a Casino is an art in itself. It was a step by step process. Fortunately, I have found that Guyanese are quick learners and are keen to learn. After the Casino is completed I plan to use some of those same skills in the construction of the cinemas, the bowling alley, the night club and the children’s arcade.”
This being the first time that a Casino is being constructed in Guyana Hande says that she also had to confront the challenge of the unavailability of specialized materials including appropriate wall paper and glue, mosaic tiles, lights, and decorative glass panels. Last year she spent a month in China acquiring much of the material that is being used in the creation of the Casino. Some material was also imported from neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago.
The proverbial ‘work horse’ a typical day for Hande begins at 08:00 hrs and can extend up to as late as 22:00 hrs. “After that,” she says, “I go on line up to about 02:00 hrs to make contact with my overseas suppliers to keep track of orders placed and to ensure that they arrive on schedule. “ She is, she says, fortunate that she does not have a family to take account of. “This job keeps me quite busy,” she says.
While Hande concedes that her assignment in Santo Domingo has been made easier on account of the experience of the workers there she makes no secret of the fact that she enjoys working in Guyana. Why? “Guyanese are willing to learn, they are friendly and they do not complain when they are required to do things in a certain way. They understand that high quality work is something that they should strive for. I consider that a positive thing since I now feel more confident that I can leave them to work on their own if I have to be away for any period. Sometimes, in the course of working, I have sought their opinion. Sometimes the opinions that they offer are very useful. Apart from that, consulting with them helps to maintain a good working relationship.”
