The competition area is located in an area known as Konak's Yenişehir Market Area and will be considered as the beginning of urban development in the region. With the historical Kemeraltı Region, Culture Park, Velvet Castle, Antique Theater and Stadium, Izban line and other important transportation connections around the design area, the project area contains the necessary inputs to be in the center of the cultural and historical city.
In determining the basic decisions taken at the scale of urban design for the competition area, the three main features of Konak District that come to the forefront and that are thought to be sustained by future generations are; The presence of cultural and historical traces from different historical periods in Konak District, including well-established educational institutions; The fact that it has a population profile with a high level of education and therefore urban awareness, and that it is an area with important natural features such as Konak Pier, which provides connection with the other piers of İzmir from the sea, were adopted as key words in the design of the new municipality building and its surroundings.
In the competition area, the design components of “Public Space that Can Produce Shared Urban Consciousness and Reflect Sustainable History and Green City Identity” are discussed in four parts; A town hall that can sustain its historical identity and offer a common discussion platform, hybrid corridor and pedestrian axis, integrated bicycle network and barrier-free design, a square design that can maintain its natural heritage identity.
“Water gardens” and “walking/resting areas” are planned along the green corridor in order to reflect the important historical trace of the hybrid stream and water presence in the region to the project area and to transfer it to future generations. Within the scope of the sustainability principle, impermeable surfaces were not included in the design, within the scope of the report findings regarding the geological features of the area and the climate of the city, in the green corridor.
In line with these decisions taken within its context, the municipal building has introverted and fragmented tectonics. The spaces on the ground floor perimeter are designed as potential urban open spaces for entrances into the building or the courtyard, and the use of the courtyard is open to public use on the ground floor. With the existing building stock on the eastern side of the plot and the entrance lobby designed on the eastern façade of the municipal service building, the foyer and the dining hall units open to outside use, a street perception that is expected to be enriched with commercial activities was desired. While the units on the eastern facade of the building are oriented towards the courtyard due to its proximity to the neighboring parcel, the units on the western facade are oriented towards the road facade due to the urban potentials and historical heritage in front of it. This situation also presents certain richness and diversity in the conditioned spaces within the building.
