Turkish practice Melike Altinisik Architects have released new photos of Istanbul's futuristic 369 meter-tall Çamlıca TV and Radio Tower. The new telecommunications tower will replace several outdated structures currently in use and support an estimated 125 broadcasting transmitters. Designed for the Ministry of Transportation and Communication, the project is currently under construction, and the new photos showcase the tower's ongoing progress. The project is set to become the tallest tower in Istanbul.
The TV and radio tower seeks a sense of motion and rhythm within its silhouette that changes when viewed from different directions around Istanbul. Those architectural formations combine elegance and beauty with math and geometry, whose innovative concept allows inhabitable spaces to be attached to the whole of the tower’s core. The project hopes to symbolize the growth of the megacity of Istanbul.
The design features restaurants, exhibition spaces, meeting areas, a panoramic elevator, and a two-story observation deck looking out over the Bosphorus Strait. There will be also a public foyer, cafe, and exhibition areas inside the podium which is transformed by the existing park walkway in Küçük Çamlıca Grove. The tower has been topped with 145-meter steel mast supported by a 203-meter concrete core which, as of early April, has reached the total height of 369 meters of construction (589 meters above sea level).
While wind testing was employed to confirm the monumental structure’s overall stability, it was also used to develop the unique facade design and optimize how the load of the building envelope would act on the concrete core. The engineered facade not only provides structural optimization but allows for inhabitable space to radiate around the tower’s central concrete core. Panorama Elevators will rise on both sides of the building as elements that feed and divide the monolithic body. Visitors will experience a vertical travel along the 180 meters towards the historical peninsula on the one side, Black Sea Coasts on the other side. They will be able to watch Istanbul from the observation and restaurant floors where located 400m above sea level.
The design principal Melike Altınışık explained that idea and process behind the design. ‘"The story of this award winning project goes back to years ago. In 2011, I have participitated 'Istanbul Çamlıca TV and Radio Tower Project’ National Competition in collaboration with Daniel Widrig and Florian Dubiel ( Visualisation.) In late 2013, the Ministry of Transporation and Communication decided to build this futuristic 369m tall tower at Istanbul Küçük Çamlıca Hill. It was a long projecting process together with teams of very important Turkish and foreign engineers to achieve international standards. We celebrated its groundbreaking in October 2015. In this unique tower which requires advanced engineering techniques both in terms of architectural design and construction methodology, all the design features, architectural planning and material selections were made considering these processes."
The monumental tower’s engineered facade is scheduled to be completed in early 2019. The new landmark structure is expected to draw an estimated 4.5 million visitors annually with the official opening slated for late 2019.
Project Credits:
Architect: MELIKE ALTINISIK ARCHITECTS
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Project Director: Melike Altınışık
Project Design Team: Melike Altınışık in collaboration with Daniel Widrig
Project Architects : Özge Çağlayan, Tuğba Okçuoğlu, Ayça Yontarım
Project Team: Melih Altınışık,Tan Akıncı, Begüm Aktaş, İrem Coşkun, Gül Ertekin, Çiğdem Nur Kebapçı, Selçuk Kişmir, Thomas Kleinow, Samed Tezgah, Ahmet Ünveren
Architectural Assistants: Ali Arslan, Yunus Emre Demirkıran, Zoe Georgio, Mazyvdas Samuolis, Beste Sensöz,
Competition Team: Melike Altınışık in collaboration with Daniel Widrig and Florian Dubiel (visualisation)
Engineers & Consultants (ShortList)
Structural Engineer: Balkar
Structural Peer Review: Thorton Tomasetti
Telecomunication Engineer: ABE Teknoloji
Electrical Engineer: HB Teknik
Mechanical Engineer: Çilingiroğlu
Wind Engineer: RWDI
Facade Engineer: Newtecnic
Landscape Architect: DS Landscape
Fire Strategy Consultant: Etik
Vertical Circulation Consultant: 3TEK
Acoustic Consultant: Pro-Plan
Lighting Design Consultant: Realities United, Darklighting
Way Finding Design Consultant: POMPAA
Quantity Survey and Fee Estimation: Entegre Project Management
Visualisation: MIR Photography: Ege Acar
Client: UDHB – Ministry of Transportation and Communication
Area: 29000m2
Year: 2011 - tbc
