109 Architectes recently took home the third prize at the 12th annual ThyssenKrupp Elevator Architecture Awards with their design for for the Disaster Prevention and Education Center in Bakırköy, Istanbul. A total of 287 projects from 59 countries were submitted to the competition. Participants were required to propose an Istanbul Disaster Prevention and Education Center on a 27,000m2 piece of land. The center will be equipped with educational resources including audiovisual equipment, simulation systems to recreate the experience of natural disasters, first aid supplies and emergency communication systems. In the center, a planetarium, library, information boards and meeting halls will serve to inform visitors. More images and project description after the break.
Disaster prevention is about communication and information: it’s about a reliable network. The flow of information before a disaster is essential to prepare for effective reactions during and after a catastrophic event. Once a disaster occurs, that same communication network is crucial for assessing the needs of victims in the disaster zone and advising action. It also enables the delivery of moral support to emergency crews under duress. On a more tangible level, a physical network of roads, railways and airports allows supplies and rescue workers to move quickly between the site and safe areas.
The Istanbul Disaster Prevention and Education Center is defined by these networks. The core elements of the program are functioning structures representing the points where related flows intersect. These nodes are grounded on a pixilated platform (the site) that detects the flows between functions, each landscaped pixel extruding at a varying height to accommodate its unique purpose. Visitors are free to move within the protrusions or above them on an elevated promenade, both paths encouraging exploration of the site from a different perspective.
The nodes have a strong visual identity and can be adapted to any location, in the center of any town or village. Connected to the site, they foster education before a disaster, efficiency during and support after. The network created can expand well beyond the site, reaching across Istanbul and the rest of the world.
Architects: 109 Architectes Location: Istanbul, Turkey Partners in Charge: Youssef Mallat, Ibrahim Berberi Architect in Charge: Anthony Chemaly, Joy Traboulsi Team: Richard Kassab, Sandra Richani, Nada Assaf Project: Istanbul Disaster Prevention and Education Center, XII Thyssenkrupp Elevator Architecture Award 2011 Client: Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Built-up area: 9,000m2 Year: 2011 Status: Competition 3rd prize winner
