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Architects: Chamber of Turkish Architects-Izmur Branch
Project Description
IZMIR CENTER OF ARCHITECTURE: REFUNCTIONING STORY OF A TOBACCO WAREHOUSE The old Tekel tobacco warehouse registered as a cultural heritage in the Port Region of Izmir, the 3rd largest city of Turkey, is refunctioning after it was combined with architecture's innovative and creative power and design's infinite wealth. With this application in a way a successful example of the reintegration of the current stock of structure into the urban life through architecture is manifested. The structure composed of two sections with four and three floors and offered service as a warehouse and a guesthouse for long years, has been exposed to interventions and reinforcements in various periods. According to the land surveys, static tests and reports that have been conducted and prepared, the structure could not be used in its current status and the reinforcements as well as the interventions that would be made according to the new function were determined. With the participation of a number of architects, intervention and design principles were discussed and assessments have been made based on the three alternative surveys prepared according to these principles, with the approaches suggested by the project board, the concept project and interior designs were prepared. Within the scope of the current structural features and static requirements, the projects prepared considered protecting the external walls of the structure, withdrawing from the exterior doors establishing a design inside that preserves the venue concept determined at the building survey and forms. The structure was renewed with a mixed system composed of steel and concrete, for all of the structural elements, exposing concrete wall, steel construction, mechanic installation and electrical installation elements was adopted. All of the partition elements that do not have to be closed indoors were applied with aluminum joinery and glass to ensure transparency. (Conference hall walls and ceilings were closed with acoustic panels as per acoustic requirements.) The parts of the ground floor stone walls that were standing and conference hall stone walls were reflected within the indoors area without plaster. The structure, which is aimed to be functioned as a center open to the use of Chamber of Architects Izmir Branchmembersas well as the residents of the city;includes a conference hall for 324 people at the ground floor, activity amphi for 200 people, 550 m2 exhibition hall including both of these venues a^€“ foyer, cafeteria and wet areas that are required for these functions were prepared. The library located at the mezzanine floor ensured supporting cultural-public functions, the objective was to create an unlimited area of information for the architectural setting. The first floor, which is designed as the administrative section of the Chamber of Architects Izmir Branchincludes the Executive Board, Chairperson's Room, secretariat, accounting, professional auditing, broadcasting and
computer training rooms, while the administrative service area is supported with wet areas and kitchen.The second floor, which is supported with two elevators, includes workshops, training halls, various meeting venues, the common foyers of these venues and kitchen plans with wet areas that are highly sought as part of the chamber's working program supporting all of these functions and the integrated open terrace (for summer movie theater, cocktails and events etc.). Water tanks, hydrophore, archives etc. technical venues are located at the basement, WC-restroom groups, conference hall and amphitheater were designed for the ground floor taking advantage of the inclination. The structure that was designed with the involvement of several architects was opened for use in January 2014 and offered. services to different groups of the society through various activities that includes architecture and other branches of art until today.Similar structures located in the region that are the reflection of storage function to the venue around the port, are being demolished so that higher structures can be constructed. The utilization of this structure by transforming is an indicator that creating another alternative in the region is possible, it has affected the transformation of the current structures located on the same parcel.
