The design for
the Istanbul Disaster Prevention and Education Centre is an ambitious and
hopeful one. We aim to create a new landmark for the city, while at the same time
provide a park and building of great use to the public, in both ordinary
times and during emergencies.THE
SITEThe site is
surrounded by a mix of religious, educational and commercial buildings. The
Centre will provide a welcoming space open to all segments of the public. The
building’s strong but simple profile immediately catches the eye while
maintaining a warm and inviting quality to the visitor. As the site is a large,
open space, it was necessary to keep the grounds as free as possible, hence the
reduced footprint. We have divided the grounds into two open plazas, separated
by the staircase/seating area, planned atop the natural incline separating the
two sections. The plazas will serve a dual purpose; as a comfortable public park
during ordinary times, and as the site of disaster recovery functions (first
aid stations, housing tents, etc.) in periods of emergency. Since much of the
park’s use will be during the former, we have sculpted it to “feed” the
building - the bulk of the property leads directly to the wide,
well-illuminated main entrance. Meanwhile, the side of the park facing the
future mosque directs visitors to the building’s café, enhancing the appeal of
the structure. We have maximized the open and accessible feel of the site by
providing a surface parking solution; this is cleanly separated from the bulk
of the grounds by a berm.
THE
BUILDING
The exterior simplicity marks quite a contrast to the complexity and variety of
the functions offered inside. We have devised a solution which ensures that the
building’s interior layout is clean and easy to navigate. A person coming in
through the main entrance walks through a well-lit, low-ceiling vestibule into
the lobby which suddenly opens to present the entire grand space of rooms and
levels in the building. The lobby is open to the ceiling of the structure, and
all of the structure’s facilities are arranged in such a way as to be clearly identified
by a visitor. Orientation, therefore, is instant and highly intuitive. This is
not a building that will require a detailed directory and map.
A ramp wraps
around the central lobby, spiraling to the top and connecting with every room
on the way. All rooms are accessible to the right of the climbing visitor. The
ramp starts at the orientation room and the exhibition route takes a visitor as
high as the planetarium. The ramp continues from there to access the
semi-public rooms, and finally ends at the private zone of the Centre. Along
the ramp are resting places, terraces that connect to each of the rooms.
These also allow the visitor to view the interior as a whole. We have oriented
the rooms so that the library and the children’s department are located in the
middle of the exhibition route; they provide a natural center for the interior
and also an ideal vista point. Additionally, we have created an escalator short
cut from the lobby for those who only intend to visit the library or children’s
space. All rooms and facilities inside the structure are open to the lobby,
including the private zone’s facilities and the conference rooms.
Through a series
of perforations in the façade, we allow for natural illumination that has a
diffused, indirect quality which lightens the space in a unique and memorable
way.
The public
sub-level of the building houses the café, which opens directly onto the lower
plaza of the site. It provides an inviting space for people frequenting the
grounds who might not want to visit the museum. It will be a hub for local
students, residents and visitors of the nearby mosque. The sub-level connects
with the lobby, so café patrons have the option of visiting the museum as well,
should they choose to do so.
MATERIALS
The main material used for the façade harkens back to materials commonly used in
Byzantine Istanbul architecture. Because the site is located on an earthquake
zone, we have chosen Hydraform, a brick building system specifically designed
to reinforce buildings located in such areas. An additional benefit of this
material is that it is sustainable, as it can be manufactured directly on the
building site from recycled materials.