Competition, 2005
Celebration and preservation of the Ottoman sultan’s naval fleet is the primary focus of this institution. Located adjacent to a major multi-nodal transportation hub of the Bosporus in Istanbul, the site’s visual connection to the empire’s palace in the historic peninsula drives the site planning. The ‘departure ramp’ takes the visitor away from the daily activity of the plaza to start the journey with an‘image’ of the capitol in mind. The path in the ’container’ focuses on the artifacts and history embellished with effects of natural lighting and focused openings. The elevated and isolated ‘social box’ allows the mind to merge the accumulated knowledge along the journey with the vision of the empirical power of place, the Palace.