tasarimhane rebrands the ankara postal museum

tasarimhane rebrands the ankara postal museum
all images courtesy of tasarimhane

istanbul-based tasarimhane design workshop renovated the ankara postal museum (PTT museum), to exhibit an abundance of  stamp collections in a more captivating way. on display, the selection contains some of the first tughra stamps – a seal specialized for an ottoman sultan. a chronological display a range of old to contemporary stamps from 189 different countries, which make up the universal postal union, are presented more inventively with visual, audio, and interactive pieces throughout the building. the installations are respectfully situated in a once-neglected structure. the conversion of an old neo-classical bank, which was left almost in ruins, into a cultural center, has brought more spirit to ankara’s city center. the marble left from the former site has been remodeled, inviting visitors into the five floors of the museum.

visitors sift through a vast collection of colorful postage marks

a careful balance between multimedia and historic artifacts was considered, as approximately 100 objects used in postal and communication services, as well as several hand-drawn color and pattern samples and cachets, envelopes, portfolios, and postcards-classified as ‘philatelic materials’, are spread among the five floors of the structure.

turkish and arabic stamps are magnified and displayed on yellow ladders

both large and small artworks make the exhibition more dynamic

preservation cases protect vintage collections and hang just above the ground

artifacts representing the history of communication are scattered throughout the collection

‘the thematically categorized collection at the second floor is grouped under 7 themes including atatürk, our cultural assets, nature, sports, vehicles, tourism and history. a special exhibition system consisted of vertical blocks dressed with visuals in seven different colors symbolizing their themes is preferred. the exhibition principle available in the philatelic material exhibition halls with the use of glass exhibition panels allows the visitors to see the both sides of the pieces. first day envelopes, special day envelopes, postcards, portfolios and cachets are among the details to see on this floor,’ says ozge gurcan, communications consultant at tasarimhane.

all of the collections exhibited in the museum can be accessed through the digital archive available in the kiosks.

multimedia pieces are displayed in consideration of the building’s visual identity

an old horse-drawn mail carriage in a room showing the chronology of turkish post and telecommunication

contemporary stamps from around the world are also on display

3-D movie theater and lecture hall

the exterior of the PTT museum in ankara

project info:

project name: PTT stamp museum
employer: ptt a.ş
project location: ulus, ankara
project date: october 2013
project area: 6.500m2
project and application: tasarimhane     
curator + project director: güzin erkan
general coordinator: oben karatepe
collection and content management: çiğdem yavuz
interior architecture project team: güzin erkan, serap baykara, eylem ece, muzaffer fatihli, ismail alev, gizem aytaç, seher caba
graphic design project team: nebal çolpan, burhan efeoğlu, atakan yaşar, ece tankal
content production: çiğdem yavuz, melike gürsel, songül karakoç (bau cooper), bahar özkök (bau cooper), sera niyego (istanbul bilgi university)
interior architecture project application: atölye tasarimhane; mustafa coşkun, adem coşkun, atilla kızılşafak, erkan karaağıl
lighting project consultancy: mustafa seven
corporate identity consultancy: rdb design agency
furniture design: naif tasarım
film production: int group
digital software: int group
image, sound and computer system: pozitif iletişim
graphic printing: printo
model + dummy animations: atölye tasarimhane
logistics: burak öge, bayram  kapıcı, turgay uçak
audio guide: tonwelt

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