a cloud in the city istanbul cultural market proposal by benoit bourd

a cloud in the city istanbul cultural market proposal by benoit bourd
all visuals courtesy of benoit bourd architect

ctrl+space held an open competition calling for proposals of a marketplace to be built in the center of istanbul, turkey. the winning proposal would represent a cultural beacon, providing an intersection in a city famous for its historically rich trading practices.

market interior

architect benoit bourd entered the contest with his proposal, ‘a cloud in the city’. the dynamic concept has the ability to rapidly change its internal layout to be adapted to any number of needs from day-by-day to years and beyond. more than simply a marketplace, its highly flexible organization is compatible for functions like a cinema, outdoor theater, festival and event space, and others.

event space

‘a cloud in the city’ is a warmly colored, partially open form. it’s uniqueness could easily become a landmark, and simultaneously makes it more approachable then a closed structure. a scaffolding of metal beams composes the second floor, with a meshed fabric roof covering. the external second level is easily accessible, and creates more opportunities for activities due to its overlooking the central courtyard. the proposal was given an honorable mention in the competition that has since ended.

structural qualities in relation to surroundings 

project graphics   

the form is scalable and highly flexible 

axonometric

sections

Plans

‘a cloud in the city’ in surroundings 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.