Where it took the curators 17 years to prepare and collect material, it took the overall design team 9 months to realize the exhibition, with high sensitivity to interpret the aim and the exhibition methods in association with the content, caring for zero loss in translations.
Exhibition Content
The exhibition, which opened at Ankara CerModern cultural centre from 13 November 2019 to 26 January 2020, marks as FREA’s first exhibition layout and exhibition implementation experience. The idea for the exhibition evolved continuously during the nine months of exhibition preparation, starting from the first meeting. The exhibition narrated attempts for modernisation and housing construction practices that accelerated during the War of Independence (1919-1922) and focuses on the decade after Ankara became the capital on 13 October 1923. The exhibition was supported by scientific research that analysed the dynamics of the emerging Yeni Şehir (New City) area and bringing forth the issue as the subject of animation through three-dimensional construction, with newly emerging public urban spaces, houses and public buildings, search for commemoration which brought monuments and development of urban landscape. Original visual and literary material was used, accompanied by developments in the Eski Şehir (Old Core) between 1923 and 1933.
Collaborative Efforts
Within the broad and exciting scope provided by the curatorial framework, responsibilities of the architectural design team were clearly defined. Collaborations were established with teams of specialization, including that of the graphic design, 3D modeling, printing of visual materials for the exhibition, production of film rooms, and choice of the exhibition furniture. The exhibition layout and display design by FREA was shaped through frequent meetings involving curators and all teams, in round table meetings and on site with the cultural centre managers. With collaboration, two try-on meetings were held at the two exhibition halls at CerModern, each covering 500 square meters. These rehearsal practices focused on screen and device testing, as well as ensuring scale compatibility and alignment with prototype furnitures and textiles produced. Thus it became possible to integrate the spirit of the exhibition space into the design process, allowing the exhibition content and its tectonic elements to be considered with congruence.
The exhibition units in the subdivided gallery accessed from the centre, were essentially arranged in different perceptual orientations. This arrangement was furher enhanced by differentiating the lighting levels of the two galleries, aiming to provide visitors with distinct experiences in these two identical spaces.
Two Places, Two Options
The fact that visitors approach the exhibition hall, which has a linear geometry with two parts, connected from the centre, made it compulsory to take user behaviour and orientation crucial in the design process. The placement of exhibition units in different directions in the gallery space that is basically divided into two, was reinforced by the differentiation of lighting patterns and lumens of the two galleries, aiming to make the visitor experience in these two equal spaces differently. The low brightness and movement created on the wall surfaces by the animated film projections intended to help the viewing visitor to be immersed in the virtual space. Considering another aspect, the order created by the roof trusses repeating at frequent intervals in both galleries, was considered as an axis for streamers connecting the two galleries with different content.
Process-driven Design
As a natural consequence of being a research exhibition, the fact that the content is updated and evolves with new data required a flexible focus at the outset. In addition, the “cabinets of curiosity” were conceived as units that differed not only in number but also type of design, due to their diverse contents as books, special documents, historic objects and ephemera whose number and dimensions were not set.
The display units were designed in full and half metal modules. Actually parts of the same systemic idea, their capabilities were conceived completely different.
Multiple Option Exhibition Modules
In the exhibition, three types of materials—metal (box profile), wood (water resistent), and glass (tempered)—were used, but a total of eight different display units were employed. This complexity, which might seem intricate, emerged from a very simple logic: metal legs were designed in two types, full and half, and the connecting – supporting frames were created in three different modules. The wooden display unit, designed as two different modules (full and half), was approached in a way that would allow visitors to easily view and read the exhibited content, with specific angles and sizes. Details of joints in assembly of modules, as well as the potential for using wooden modules upside down or in normal orientation, were also counted for. The glazed module was deviced using the half-wood module upside down, thereby defining the volume where the ephemera would be located on display. This created not only flexibility but also variety.
Flags to Represent Celebration
Since the exhibition’s time-line was framed by the 10th anniversary of the Republic in 1933, the flags that were hung above display units accompanied this theme as complementary elements, almost like symbols of the 10th Anniversary Celebrations, or even the anticipated 100th Anniversary Celebrations. With their light and transparent structures, the flags found their place as a layered graphic complement for the exhibition.
Portable, Stackable Units
Assembly and disassembly of the exhibition units was designed to be as simple and straightforward as possible. The aim was to allow the exhibition to be moved and adapted to other gallery spaces in other cities if necessary. An important design principle was that exhibition elements could be dismantled, transported and reassembled in each new space, units could be easily added and removed as required, and that they could be stored when not in use without taking up too much space. The need to complete the entire installation in a limited time was considered, and potential assembly techniques were thought for. Making prototypes before the real installation simplified the design of the exhibition. Throughout the exhibition, a qualified and dynamic visitor area was created: a pleasant and educational atmosphere where the content constantly evolves and contributes to the design, still where the design contributes the content.
