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Akdeniz University, 1999
Architect: Cengiz Bektas
In 1997, the architect Cengiz Bektas gave a presentation and a
lecture at the Akdeniz University in Antalya about the town's old
city. The lecture helped to raise awareness among the
university's staff that their campus lacked a coherent identity, and
that communication among teachers and students suffered as a result.
A year later the university commissioned the architect to design a
new social center to bind together the disparate elements of the
campus.
Lying on the western fringes of Antalya, the main city on Turkey's
central Mediterranean coast, the campus consists of scattered
buildings in a variety of modern styles, bearing little relation to
the old city and providing no sense of individual character. The
concept of new center was based on the architect's belief that, for
a sense of community to flourish, people from different disciplines
must be able to meet informally a common space, much like the Greek
agora, the Roman forum or the Oriental bazaar, where
"incidental" learning may occur. Accordingly, the complex
is laid out like a traditional bazaar, with a series of buildings
arranged around the central axis.
The pathway that forms this axis is divided by a water channel,
which flows over gentle waterfalls from the highest point of the
site, humidifying and cooling the surrounding spaces. In two places,
the pathway widens to create outdoor focal points for various
functions. The space to the north contains a large pool of still
water, surrounded by an auditorium complex and restaurant. To the
south, a small pit of stepped seats with a water fountain at its
center, overlooked by a clock tower, can be used for individual
reflection or for interaction within small groups. Around this space
are cafes and various shops. At other stages along the central
walkway are rooms for student clubs, an exhibition area and a sport
club.
Covering both sides of the path, curving, linear pergolas balance
and integrate indoor and outdoor space. To the east, an open-air
amphitheatre with seating for 1200 people is used for performances
and a wide range of social and cultural activities, not just by the
students but also by the residents of Antalya, helping to integrate
the campus into the community. A series of path connects the main
axis with the bus station, the student hostel, the rector's office
and neighboring university buildings, making the complex the hub and
visual focus of the campus.
The architect allowed local workers and craftspeople to make use of
their knowledge and methods during construction and also taught them
some of the old techniques, reviving building traditions in the
area. Like the traditional buildings of Antalya, the center's
predominantly one-story buildings were constructed mainly from local
stone, quarried from the site during excavation of the foundations
and then rough-cut in site and combined with reinforced concrete
beams to form load-bearing walls. The timber ceiling structures,
which support roofs clad with traditional red ceramic tiles, borrow
their materials and technique from Antalya's ancient shipbuilding
industry, fostering pride in the region's history and achievements.
A number of trees existed on the site prior to building and the
design for the most part worked around and preserved them, while the
architect added indigenous trees, shrubs and flowers to create an ever-changing
environment. Areas of grass have also been introduced, as well as
climbing plants around the pergolas, which, when mature, will
provide shade during the summer.
The name "Olbia", which is an old word for city, was
chosen by public vote, encapsulating the project's traditional and
social qualities. Connecting the scattered buildings of the campus,
bringing together teachers and students from different disciplines
and metaphorically linking contemporary Turkey with its past, the
project has met and exceeded its objectives.
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