St. Eugene Palace was built in 1868 as an orphanage. In the 20th century, it became Garabet Cezayirliyan's papier-mâché workshop. Kemal Cinbiz later took over the workshop. The building also housed the world's only known papier-mâché museum. The papier-mâché museum contained papier-mâché pieces from structures such as Dolmabahçe Palace, Pera Museum, Adile Sultan Palace, and Sait Halim Pasha Mansion. The papier-mâché museum on its upper floor was closed in 2022. The building also hosted the 14th Istanbul Biennial and the 18th Istanbul Biennial in 2025. Today, the building is vacant. A cafe called Tophane Mekan, owned by the Beyoğlu Municipality, operates in its garden.

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