Alp Serif Besen

Design:
ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL DESIGN
Location:
Vezneciler – Beşiktaş, Istanbul
Institution:
Istanbul Bilgi University
Course:
Arch 401
Year:
2017-18
Advisors:
Prof. Dr. Tansel Korkmaz & Alişan Çırakoğlu
Challenge:
Design a semi-public structure for an architecture school located in the historical peninsula of Istanbul

Situated in Istanbul’s historic Vezneciler–Beyazıt district, the project draws from a context shaped by four major civilizations over 3,000 years. Today, the area functions as both a transit hub and a city university campus, with thousands of students passing through daily. Given the site’s cultural, educational, and infrastructural significance, the design responds with care—introducing new functions without disrupting its existing layers. Instead of starting with formal or technical studies, the process began with observing everyday life, allowing patterns of human interaction to inform and shape the design approach.

Located near the site, the Istanbul Manufacturers Market (İMÇ) offers a compelling example of how architecture can adapt to its environment. As an early example of postmodern Turkish architecture, İMÇ plays with forms, ideas, and traditions drawn from various historical periods—particularly Ottoman, Byzantine, and Modern architecture. The design thoughtfully responds to both pedestrian and vehicular circulation, creating a spatial rhetoric in which architecture extends beyond its boundaries and blends into the surrounding fabric. People are, in turn, invited to flow into the building. 

The site analysis continued with spatial observations, revealing two dominant archetypal spaces near the site. One consists of small, maze-like shop interiors—stacked tightly beside or above one another—often evoking a sense of claustrophobia. The other comprises expansive religious structures such as mosques and churches, where vast empty space imposes a heavy psychological weight on the user. Locals experience this spatial dichotomy daily and internalize it subconsciously. Moreover, upon a cosmogram study, it is easily seen that such spaces align in a way that they create an urban rhythm. This rhythm and contrast—between compression and openness—became a conceptual foundation for the final design.

In response to the site analyses and spatial observations, the design incorporates two distinct studio space typologies. One consists of levels tightly stacked atop one another, evoking a sense of compression—designed as a shared working studio. The other features intersecting floating pathways that surround expansive voids, intended as a presentation and pin-up space. Together, these contrasting modules reflect the spatial duality observed in the surrounding context – constituting the base of the whole design.

Cramped within a dense urban and cultural fabric, the final design avoids disrupting existing spatial flows such as pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Instead, it embraces and weaves around them in a thoughtful, creative manner. By connecting multiple streets, the structure allows people to pass through it, dispersing heavy foot traffic into alternative routes. It also offers direct access to the nearby subway station through interior public passages, further integrating itself into the daily rhythms of the city. While it may appear as a monolithic, mesh-like cube, the structure is highly permeable—punctuated by numerous openings that invite, rather than resist, public intrusion.

With most sides open to the public, the private spaces are exclusively reserved for students of the school. While the general public can easily enter and pass through the building, access to the private areas is restricted. The students enter these spaces in a special—and rather poetic—way: rather than simply stepping inside, they “leak” into the building through cracks. To access their private studio spaces, they descend stairs that wrap around the exterior, pass through designated doors, and then proceed to their destinations. This unique spatial flow not only creates a memorable narrative but also fosters a strong sense of belonging.

Within the building’s rigid grid structure are a series of amorphous forms that appear to be compressed, as if leaking in and out of the architecture. Their distinct color and organic shape set them apart from the rest of the design, visually reinforcing the narrative of spatial leakage. One of these forms is the lecture hall, positioned beneath the building itself—giving the impression that it is pressed under the weight of the structure above.

By creating cracks through which students enter, the design also generates hidden pathways and secluded enclosures—quiet spaces shielded from the chaos of the surrounding neighborhood. These pockets of calm provide moments of retreat, reflection, and informal gathering, offering a stark contrast to the city’s fast-paced rhythm. Rather than isolating students entirely, these spaces create a sense of intimacy and ownership, fostering a deeper connection between the users and the architecture. In this way, the building becomes not just a place of learning, but a refuge.