modular timber framing and textile canopies compose open-air civic pavilion in turkey
a lightweight timber extension brings shade, communal seating and working surfaces, with removable fabrics recalling the sheltered passages of turkish bazaars.
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DATÇA SUMMER WORKSHOP BUILDS TIMBER-and-fabric pavilion
Designed and built as part of the Datça Summer Workshop 2026, a collaborative initiative between İstanbul Bilgi University, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, and Wentworth Institute of Technology, guided by design-build tutors including Sebastián Erazo and Stefano Pugliese, the Karaköy Timber Extension is a 55-sqm civic intervention in southwestern Turkey. Positioned along the perimeter of the village’s active celebration grounds, the timber pavilion provides shade, work surfaces, storage, and communal seating to support the collective labor and food preparation underlying village weddings, seasonal markets, and civic gatherings.
VERNACULAR ÇARDAK TYPOLOGY INFORMS REPEATED TIMBER FRAMES
The lightweight timber assembly, conceived by architectural practice Erazo Pugliese, adapts the structural logic of the çardak, a vernacular seasonal agricultural shelter native to the Datça Peninsula. Constructed without permanent concrete foundations, the timber frame sits directly on the terrain as an integrated piece of large-scale outdoor furniture. A series of repeated frames structures the frontage, integrating wooden boards to form preparation counters, display shelves, and a continuous bench facing the central clearing. Referencing traditional Turkish bazaar canopies, tensioned fabric panels provide overhead shading without rigid enclosure. Addressing winter wind conditions, the textiles are fully removable, secured by timber battens inserted into sewn end pockets and fastened to the frame with elastic cords and hooks.
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project info:
name: Karaköy Timber Extension
architect: Erazo Pugliese | @erazo_pugliese
workshop: Datça Summer Workshop
collaborators: İstanbul Bilgi University, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Wentworth Institute of Technology
location: Karaköy, Istanbul, Turkey
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