IZMIR
By following the traces of opus sectile in the Smyrna Agora, which holds a significant place in Izmir's memory, the proposal envisions the structure of the Presidency and City Council as a meeting place. The comprehensive space created by bringing together various elements carries the effort to nurture user diversity and create a participatory and collective space. In contrast to the lost plurality and standardized quantitative democracy over time, the proposal council aims to be a space for the coexistence of different ideas in a democracy concept.
The building, in addition to its enclosed uses, also explores its integration into the city by focusing on street, square, and open space traces. Thus, the importance of creating an additional layer for Izmir, which has evolved over different periods by accretion, has been emphasized.
Presidency and City Councils as a Center of Civilization Idea Project Competition
WHAT
Urban
WHERE
Izmır,Turkey
WHEN
August 2023
When creating a "new" structure, the priority is to develop a proposal that is not foreign to the city but works in conjunction with the existing urban fabric and vacant spaces. This condition ensures that both the climate and the daily life of the city play a dominant role in the design concept of the proposal city council.
The Agora is the place where the daily socio-cultural life of Smyrna city takes place. The shaded areas provided by the stoas allow for connecting enclosed spaces or creating intersecting spaces that extend from one space to another. By following the traces of this scheme, the existing streets and square extensions are considered as the main circulation backbone in the proposal building. The existing street network and square serve as the connective tissue that unites the City Council, Fellow Citizen Communication Center, and Presidency functions. The proposal supports the integration of urban residents as permanent users of the building, with a fluid interaction between open, semi-open, and enclosed uses. Even when the enclosed units are not in use, the building continues to function as an extension of the public ground with its open areas extending from the existing traces.
