concept & vision

an abstract landscape, with the building arising and spreading from the earth organically—a contemporary nod to the mountain ranges of ancient Cappadocia. We imagine a mass being lifted or extracted from the ground. Resisting the impulse to create a vertical object, we choose instead to design the structure in direct relation to its ground, its site and its surrounding area, striving for a strong connection with earth

architecture & design

vertical shipping containers are assembled in a honeycomb pattern as a sloping incline, a human-made hill of sort, a large stable mass with voids for access, circulation, and program. Containers are tightly connected to one another to transfer basic horizontal shear forces; smaller clusters of containers, like corbelling bricks of ancient construction, arch over the openings generating the voids within the building fabric.

program & use

several different and interconnected areas offer a sequence and variety of experiences within the Istanbul Earth Centre. The main entrance directs visitors to an open, triple-height area lobby/information center, café and introductory exhibition space. This ground area also serves for public gatherings and community/information exchange in the event of a natural disaster. Visitors are then directed to the 4D video room to start the exhibition visit. The sequence continues with the Liquefaction and Earthquake sections and finally, the Planetarium. A bridge, intersecting the lobby again at a higher level, crosses the building leading visitors to the Rainstorm, Fire and Smoke sections, which are housed within the north side of the building. The Auditorium is also located in this area and is accessible directly and independently from the lobby through elevators. Administration, Children’s section and Library are all located on the highest level of the building, via direct connections to the lobby and the auditorium.

impact & significance

a landscape and an institution uses containers vertically for strength, as natural light wells, and as spaces for soil and planting at the roof - a large, open, pedestrian public space. Public exhibition and educational spaces and interactive outdoor and recreational areas are combined in a singular experience.