Set amid the surreal landscape of Cappadocia, Turkey—where time has carved stone into towering formations, ancient cave dwellings, and subterranean cities—PHILIA, in collaboration with ARC, hosts an annual design residency rooted in this land of elemental beauty.

Each year, a new cohort of visionary designers is invited to embark on a creative journey through central Anatolia, immersing themselves in its raw poetry and timeless rhythms.

In close dialogue with local artisans and native materials, participants explore the deep interconnection between land, history, and form. Their works reflect the layered textures of the region—from the soft tactility of tuff stone to the golden light of Cappadocia’s sweeping valleys—creating a bridge between ancestral craftsmanship and contemporary design.

More than a residency, this is a ritual of creation and remembrance—a pilgrimage into the essence of place, where each object becomes a vessel of cultural memory and material storytelling.