The Ottoman Empire's new relationships with foreign nations due to Westernisation attempts led to the establishment of consulates, hospitals and schools in the Pera (Beyoglu) neighbourhood of Istanbul and proliferated the construction of apartment buildings in the same area, a trend that spilled over to the rest of the public over time. Apartment buildings were mostly occupied by the elite during the Republic era, but they increasingly became the primary building typology supplying the housing needs to the general public. Over the last 150 years, these apartment buildings have been constructed via different methods and actors, including governmental support, to find a solution to Turkey's housing problem. Today's landscape of apartment buildings includes a diverse array of solutions from collective housing to luxury residences designed as tall high rises. The prominent role of Turkey's construction sector as fuel for the economy and a force that rejuvenates dependent sectors has also led to increased competition, development of new concepts and creative designs, generating a forum of discussion for the role of the apartment building in new settings of living.