Istanbul Disaster Prevention and Education Centre

ABOUT 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 SITE The 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.