Akplaza Commercial Center | Manço Architects

Akplaza Commercial Center, which is one of the major steps taken toward the urban regeneration ofDolapdere district, was designed and built as an energy efficient A+ classoffice building with BREEAM certification. 

The project has received the European Property Awards2015 in Turkey Office Development category. As of July 2015, the whole buildinghas been leased by the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul.  

To meet the spatial needs of various users, the floor plans were kept as flexible as possible. Thus the building was planned as the combination of two easily dividable rectangular office blocks and a circulation / service block in between.

The building's shell was created with distinct surfaces with contrasting patterns and transparencies, in order to underline the differences regarding the sunlight and views. Accordingly, the west façade facing the existing dense urban tissue and harsh sunlight was designed as an opaque surface with horizontal glass openings, whereas the south and east façades facing Yeni Yol Street and the Golden Horn view, as well as the north façade with exposure to diffused daylight were designed as a transparent one. 

Sunbreakers with varying density according to the direction of the sun were placed in front of the curtain walls to prevent the excessive heating and glare during the summer months while enabling façade maintenance without the need for lift or crane systems. 

The central block was planned around a large, 40m high atrium void enclosed with a transparent glass façade, in order to create an illuminated common circulation volume enabling maximum visual connection with the surrounding neighborhood.

The whole building was designed and built to be accesible and usable by disabled people.

The public park located in front of the south façade was continued with the landscaping surrounding the building.