Winner of the 2010 AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE, this 15.000-square- meter (161,459 square foot) project was undertaken in 2004. The design is strictly related to its site and to the functions of the factory.
Located on a limited plot on the road to Kırklareli and near the E-5 highway, the structure links administrative and factory functions in a single large mass rather than separating them, as local traditions would have implied. Linear gardens are located between the different sections of the factory, serving as space for staff rest breaks and also bringing natural light and air into the building.
Given the nature of the project and an understanding of local building techniques, the architects chose to avoid “innovative experiments in building materials and production methods,” preferring to use “vertical reinforced concrete load-bearing elements, a lightweight steel structure cover placed on top of them, and a coffered system for the facades.” The exterior surfaces of the factory employ a grammar determined by the clear distinction between areas that are respectively open or closed to the outside.*
*by Philip Jodidio, EAA Emre Arolat Architects: Context and Plurality, Rizzoli New York, 2013.
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