The focus of designing informatics and innovation building consists of carrying a strong value forming METU identity to out of the campus, providing continuity of spacious memory and questioning architecturally current response.
ALLEY forms the spacious backbone of METU campus. Buildings open to the alley, the pedestrian movement is organized, it has many surprises and unexpected events. With these properties, it has an energetic character exciting user.
It is aimed to re-form this strong structure of alley. Other than that, a spacious interpretation is tried to be made by carrying void feeling to the 3rd dimension. It is decided to call as INNOVATION ALLEY since it organizes the life on ground level. It is aimed that new response of spacious memory tried to be carried into 3rd dimension will have a strong relation and a rich social life. With commercial units both looking at existing trees and opening to INNOVATION ALLEY on ground level, it is targeted to contribute social life of the area and also, to make a strong relationship with the city at the point of questioning the coexistence of different program units.
Alley can be read as an INBETWEEN SPACE. The void is designed with the sections without repeating defined by surfaces looking at each other. Rich spacious experiments are tried to form for users. INNOVATION ALLEY targets keeping the life in continuity formed as a continuation of urban space alive with the other stages of the project.
Flexibility is specified as one of the basic concepts for plan organization of the building. Enlargement of circulation around the core makes the location of the corridor free. Thus, it passes between small offices in two floors having the same plan, if required, it reclines the alley edge and creates bigger offices.
The main entrance for workers of the building is located on the low-ground level. Access to two office arms is provided with vertical circulation by making security-check at one point on the low-ground level. Alley level will be purified from entrance and exit traffic by taking the entrance to lower level. This situation makes possible to open INNOVATION ALLEY for public usage.
Surfaces defining INNOVATION ALLEY and exterior edges differentiate in terms of material and tectonic. Exterior edges create a contrast with the movement formed inside and they are articulated to provide sun control at east and west facades, especially. Vertical metal elements are framed in different angles according to the angle of the sun and form secondary façade surface. This façade language strengthens the building image, which has a weak relation, relatively, with the surroundings. Interior facades are enamel-painted in different size and have a language formed with a combination of extra clear glass. Transparency is essential and also, the energy of INNOVATION ALLEY is aimed to be emphasized.
Year: 2015
Location: Ankara, Türkiye
Client: ODTÜ Teknokent
Programme: Office, Research Center
Total Area: 36.000 m²
Status: Completed
Project Team: Emre Şavural, Fatih Yavuz, Baran Ekinci, Bengü Büyükkayacı, Canseven Toprak
Consultants: Zafer Kınacı (Civil Eng.), Orhan Murat Gürson (Mech. Eng.), Kemal Ovacık (Elec. Eng & lighting.), Murat Memlük (Landscape arch.), Barbaros Bıçakçı (Infrastructure Eng.), Zeynep Odabaş (Fire Protection)
Architectural Photography: Cemal Emden
