The SALT research center was envisioned as a public tool and a vehicle to research, exchange, engage, and create content. The uniqueness of the historic building and the spatial volume of the Avlu was something to behold and therefore our design approach pursued both in a dialogue. Underpinning the material and formal choices of the design is the building's eclecticism style of the late 19th Century, the other designer's
approaches to create the building's contemporary character, and to co-locate with the Beyoglu building. 'Socially engaging' to the diversity of potential users and visitors was the spatial organization brief given in by the user group. Our response was to create a field of stacks with familiar reading and research points around the perimeter and then define 8 distinct settings -- each to suggest different alternatives for engagement. And, last was to 'put-on-show' the essentials of the institute's unique collection and services. These 'essentials' are arranged to define a new porous edge to the Avlu: the rare book case, the artist archive, the newness, the front desk and search stations. And not least, is the notion of inclusiveness; each piece of furniture was specifically selected to tell a tradition of the hand-manufactured craft of Istanbul pioneering designers in the last generations as well as certain performance qualities of
furniture manufacturing not yet achieved locally.

The approach is a place that is as
much about the whole as it is about the individual parts -- parts that can
change, be added or fade-out -- but which as a whole has a presence of 'being there'. Unique in our contribution is the notion of narratives and those that create the 'sense' of place. Our design narratives are most clearly articulated in the 3 distinct objects. Each object acts as tactile story tellers in a conversation with the others. One is of sound and texture (poofpuf), One is of light and aperture (cinema4two), and One is of geometric construction and scale (artist archive). Each are also placed to entice those beyond the boundaries of the research center, indoor and outdoor, to come in and see what is there. Each attempts to transcend plywood's inherent nature, and yet simply express the elegance of such an ordinary material. The second uniting narrative is found in the upholstery designed for the space. Specifically, it is the view 'from above' in the Galata oval window of Perşembe Pazari and the historic peninsula. The connection back to the city and the experience of the research center from the upper avlu floors was always considered. We hope more stories will come, the walls host the institutes mission, the events of SALT in
its nascent months of operation, the portal to events, the online catalogues,
and a blank black wall to tell more. One of our great accomplishments was the diversity of designers invited for their unique signature pieces from the 1950's to today. Challenging to the designers was to think of their pieces in the specific context and social requirements of the research center. Sadi Öziş's original design chairs face to the city, Aziz Sariyer's TOT tables will host the core research stations, Derin
Sariyer's FLAT chairs animate the avlu, Superpool's rippling workstations
continue to support the 'essential's of SALT's processing, and our library
stack system design co-created with Ersa are some of the highlights visitors
will be able to experience. There is also the unique and very tactile
information and graphic design approach of Ozgen Design for the navigation of the space and the library collection inspired also from the pattern material expressions of the historic setting. As part of the ambition to invite and subtly change the texture of the space. Yet our aspiration is that many more great minds will contribute to the tactile experience of the
space in the millennium ahead.

Products:
Ersa - bookshelves and light duty shelves designed by SANALarc
Superpool - custom librarian/media tables
Derin Design -- Seating and tables
Herman Miller -- Seating

Photography credits:
Iwan Baan
Refik Anadol
Cuneyt Ekin