competition entry for gulsuyu cemevi by melike altınışık and gül ertekin

competition entry for gulsuyu cemevi by melike altınışık and gül ertekin
all visuals courtesy of TAG

in may 2015, the maltepe municipality of istanbul, turkey announced an international competition to build a religious and cultural complex for the country’s alevi population. the contest challenged architects to create proposals which not only serve contemporary needs of the faith, but also to tie in cultural traditions and history in an accessible way. local architects melike altınışık and gül ertekin were named finalists.

entrance

typically, the historical cemevi (alevism place of worship) is a small scale, hard-to-find structure; likely from the oft tense relationships between factions of the islamic faith. due to increasingly large populations of alevi migrating to large cities, the once intimate structures have taken on the look of something more akin to the mega-church.

reception and foyer 

the concept offers a way of re-designing the contemporary cemevi to reflect more closely the cultural values of the alevi, being: humanism, modesty, socialization, and strong connections to the natural world. altınışık and ertekin do so by bringing the form back down to a human scale, and creating a unified look that doesn’t overlook the faith’s complexity.

interior 

religious halls are separated from non-worshipping and cultural center areas by distinct material and physical changes. an intricate mix of roof landscapes, terraces, and courtyards enhances visitors’ experiences, and makes it easier to socialize regardless of on-site location. the concept places cultural sustainability, rather than formal architecture cues, at the core in order to build lively public spaces for education and observance alike. 

street level view of cultural center 

courtyards 

terrace view 

aerial 

aerial, alternate  

physical model 

concept diagram

exploded view

project info:

project name: istanbul gülsuyu cemevi and cultural center
client: maltepe municipality
location: istanbul, turkey
type: competition
status: finalist
year: 2015
size: 12.000 m²
design: melike altınışık + gül ertekin
project team: demet cekic, anıl gülmez, ali ucar
landscape consultant: nursen gümüşsoy
structure consultant: melih altınışık
visualization: TAG

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.