The City Council of Izmir and the Mayoral Office,
İzmir 2023 | Selim Atak, Rahmi Hızarcıoğlu, Talip Doğu Ayan, Cansen Molva
We have inadvertently become accustomed to living in irregular cities. The proposal aims to normalize the act of questioning without embracing such complacency and seeks to explore the aesthetics amidst the chaos of Izmir city.
/ 1 Commencement
We recommend enhancing the permeability of urban transit routes, exemplified by Sahil Bulvarı, which has become an integral part of our cities. This can be achieved by increasing the permeability in certain segments, similar to what has been done in Mithat Paşa Park. It's important to note that this solution is temporary, and the ultimate goal is to alleviate traffic congestion by developing alternative methods and public transportation options while restricting vehicular traffic through zoning.
/ 2 Project Area
Our initial decision upon reaching the project area was to make the entire ground plane accessible to the public and to incorporate the developed project as an integral component of Konak Square. Upon a holistic examination of the square, we envisioned diversifying its usage by introducing semi-open spaces around the green area and the clock tower. Consequently, we opted to design the project area as a comprehensive monumental cover.
/ 3 New Parliament
We planned a cylindrical lightbox to serve as the centerpiece of the proposed cover and project area. Our aim was to encourage public engagement by representing the Parliament volume at the center with an easily accessible design.
/ Monumental Cover
Upon closer examination of the city by centering on the project area, we observed that the irregularities we see in nearby neighborhoods like Yeşiltepe and Kadifekale persist on the street plane, even though they may appear regular on the plan. To address this irregularity, we developed a template for the proposed monumental cover by simplifying the architectural elements that contribute to this irregularity into basic geometric forms. Our aim was to bring forth the envisioned 'twisted aesthetics' within the orthogonal grid we established. As a result, we formulated our proposal by amalgamating three layers: an open public space on the ground plane, a multipurpose hall and foyer, HİM offices entrance, sales unit, and the Parliament spectator terrace. We conceived of the cover as the second layer that would envelop the public space, and we organized the institutional volumes with the presidential unit above the ground level and the parliamentary unit below.
/ Open Exhibition Space
We envisioned the supporting legs of the proposed monumental cover as units where artworks produced in diverse environments could be displayed. This approach aimed to transform the ground floor left to the public into a dynamic open-air gallery.
/ Parliament Hall
To create a perception of the Parliament volume as a unified and integral space, we designed the space as a simple geometric form. We planned the spectator terrace to extend towards the interior of the Parliament on active days. Recognizing the greater use of the representative entrance, we proposed a separate controlled entrance.
Stage 2
/ Square - Void
Initially, we began enriching our proposal by making the ground plane accessible to the public in a manner that integrates it as an integral part of the void, rather than defining the area it occupies. To accomplish this, we extended the outdoor gallery designed using the supporting legs of the monumental cover, all the way to the ground covering where the clock tower is at the center of the surrounding landscape. This approach aimed to prevent the formation of an undefined buffer zone between the new Parliament and the clock tower. When considering the area between Halil Rıfat Paşa Caddesi and Mücibur Rahman Sokak collectively, we strategically placed urban furnishings in areas suitable for the selected locations, taking into account the relationship between users and greenery. Konak Square will evolve into a city square that can be used at all hours of the day, and with this use, we planned to meet the growing need for resting, waiting, and relaxation with the proposed urban furniture. We found it appropriate to use travertine stone blocks shaped according to ergonomic standards in the production of the furniture added at various points of the project. In terms of landscape design, we aimed to create a more permeable landscape design, as opposed to the previously non-permeable landscape character. We ensured that the architectural language, perceived through the interplay of fullness and emptiness of the monumental cover, continued into the gardens that transformed into small city gardens in the ground voids.
/ Lighting
We incorporated two different types of lighting under the monumental cover, tailored to the space's usage. For homogeneous lighting of the exhibition units and their surroundings planned on the supporting legs of the cover, we favored a surface lighting similar to a tension ceiling. To highlight special areas such as entrances and the First Shot Monument, we devised a unique lighting element with various customizable combinations.
/ Parliament
We aligned the floor height of the spectator section on the ground floor with the monumental cover and organized its circular plan as a base that would be perceived as a part of the cover. This adjustment led to a reduction in the cylindrical glass box atop the Parliament, limiting the entry of sunlight into the interior. We used reinforced concrete curtain walls as the load-bearing structure and designed the spectator balcony as a 3.30-meter-long cantilever. We envisioned the cylindrical glass box above the Parliament as an envelope consisting of steel structure with 1.20 meters wide on two sides covered with U-sectioned glass. We considered the Parliament foyer volume, designed as an elongated rectangular prism, as an integral part of the cover, with a gallery void created at the entrance of the Parliament. The 1st basement floor featured large glass surfaces overlooking an inner courtyard on the western side to facilitate ventilation and illumination.
/ Mayor's Office and HİM Offices
We designed the facades of the buildings housing the Mayor's Office and HİM offices to mirror the Parliament, in a bid to amplify the Parliament's impact, conceived as a lightbox within the project area. To this end, we minimized openings on the sides of the volumes facing the Parliament. We employed a roof window to provide illumination for the common workspace on the first floor of the Mayor's Office. The western facade of the Mayor's Office, facing the Parliament, was made entirely transparent, while the eastern facade was made sound to maximize control over the entry of sunlight. The 2nd-floor ceiling was recessed 0.50 meters inside the western facade, and sunscreens were placed along the entire length of the facade to manage sunlight entry.
/ Flooring
We envisioned a uniform and recurring ground covering that would encompass the buildings designed on the ground floor, making it accessible to the public. This ground covering aimed to soften the boundaries created by partitions and highlight the accessibility of each space it reached, including the public areas within the buildings.