The new headquarters building of Türkiye Finans Participation Bank was constructed in Ümraniye, İstanbul, having a total of 60,559 sqm of gross construction area, 40,000-sqm of which was segregated for gross leasable area. Having National Commercial Bank (NCB), one of the largest public banks in Saudi Arabia as the major shareholder, this corporate structure’s other partners include Ülker Group and Boydak Group. For this reason, the multi-shareholder structure of the bank and it being a participation bank, were taken into consideration to be emphasized during the design process. While the 28 floors of the 33-story structure form the tower levels, the 3 floors of the remanining 5 plinth floors were planned as a parking garage and the first and second basement floors were designed as office and social activitiy areas. The main structure of the building is designed as reinforced concrete carcass, while the first and second floors the plinth level were constructed by a steel construction system. The core idea of the conceptual design was formed by the objective and motto of TFKB, “surplus value instead of consumption”, while the surplus generation of the participation notion was described by geometry. In this context, a rhombus symbolized the power created by the combination of different forces, which set out from the existing logo of the bank, disperse through four main directions, and acccumulate in a center. The resulting element thus aimed to represent the constituted “production-based surplus value”, and this three-dimensional figure was accepted and used as the corporate identity in the designed spaces. The two main entrances of the building were designated by the main entrance at the ground level providing access to the tower block, and the entrance lobby situated at the second basement floor, which is predominantly used for staff entrance and can be accessed both by walk or by staff shuffles. The corporate identity was highlighted by the austerity of spaces at both of the entrance lobbies. The natural stones used for the floorings at the entrance lobby were further applied in the same way as the wall coverings, while the ceiling was equipped with a PVC based stretch membrane having the same texture. In addition to these, the information desk designed once again with the same material structure, gives the impression as it is formed of a piece of the flooring. The wall that sets out from the behind of the information desk, moves along the central core that divides the lobby and the café space right behind it, was coated with black glazing in order to create a sense of depth throughout the space. In this way, the natural stone materials flowing through the line of floorings and walls are interrupted only at the behind of the desk, thus highlighting the information desk itself. The tower lobby level houses the central branch, which is directly connected to the exterior of the building. When going up from the ground floor of the lobby, there are open office-based floors embodying meeting floors and various bank units. On the open-office floors lie a hidden cabinet system, surrounding the core of the building, thus responding to the potential load of the archives and preventing the dense circulation to be generated in the space by the open-office cabinet dividers. In this building, which features large and fragmented spaces in such scale, this core was integrated to the cabinet system as a rhombic form appliqué, which was created with the aim of providing the integrity of corporate identity in between spaces. The dominant grey tone found at woven vinyl flooring and the expanded mesh ceiling system was warmed by the continous wooden cabinet and wall coating system surrounding the core, while the Podima coated pool at the ground level and the hidden light lines in the ceiling projection were accordingly emphasized. The small-scale masjids created on the tower floors were designed through a minimal and austere character to be presented by the concrete effect, just as in the large main masjids located on the first basement plinth level, thus establishing integrity with the main office volumes. At the facade of the building overlooking the TEM Highway along the tower floors, the floors have been receded an axis as a gallery with single-story intervals, allowing for creating social spaces in these areas. In the scope of interior design, these nestled areas gave place to two central meeting rooms, culminating in symmetrical social spaces on both sides of the meeting rooms. In order to highlight İstanbul in autumn, these areas featured single red-leafed trees, which can be perceived from the outside of the building at night owing to the light effects, aiming to turn these trees into a landmark in the area. The upper levels of the tower house administration units, while the green gardens created for the standard levels transform into bigger lobbies with an urban park identity. The boardroom was designed especially to overlook this lobby with a large green space. In this way, it was aspired to both emphasize the transparent structure of the administration and generate the feeling of being in a spacious and open green garden, as it stands for the most important meeting hall. Since the roofing of the 27th and 28th floors of the tower block, situated at the upper end, was designed as a transparent glass, the wide and spacious space created within this area was tackled seperately. This area was tackled as a social space appealing to the senior management and was further planned as an area to host important meetings and events, while prioritizing F&B functions. The 28th floor, which was planned as a mezzanine floor, includes a private seating area, the center of which features a fireplace designed by Norman Foster. Here, you are presented with the panoramic views of İstanbul’s cityscape. The entrance lobby situated at the second basement floor, which is predominantly used for the staff entrance, was planned through the same approach as the tower block lobby. However, the ceilings in this area are only partially clad in natural stone texture, which was used for floorings and wall coatings due to the fact that the floors embodying it are made of steel construction and there was an endeavor to make this construction visible. As one of the most important pieces of TFKB’s corporate identity, it was ensured that the red color, opted for the center of the natural stone patterned PVC stretch ceiling that was used partially and extended along the entrance axis of the ceiling, divides the lobby area down the middle through a hidden line of lighting. The lobby was illuminated without using additional lighting fittings, through hidden projectors situated at the two ends of this ceiling projecting light onto the open reflectors placed on the surfaces of the exposed steel beams. There is a total of two courtyards While Blue Moon is a stone originating from India, it visually embodies a plain glossy grey color and texture without any patterns, giving the impression of epoxy when viewed from a distance. This stone was mostly used to create the mono effect aimed at the administration floors. On one hand, it creates the desired minimal and mono effect owing to its textureless nature, on the other hand, due to being a natural stone, it unveils the high value of the administration offices. Additionally, it was another reason for preference that this material was tranquil enough to be used together with natural and unpolished merbau wood deck in relevant spaces and particularly in the boardroom… Natural Stone: Midwest Grey Quarry: Afyon Midwest Grey intrinsically embodies white vessels on a grey background. Particularly used in both walls and floorings, starting from the lobbies situated at the two entrances of the building and further spreading to other common spaces and halls, this material was opted for its success in establishing integrity with the black glazed surfaces used for creating depth of field on wall surfaces, in accordance with the concept of the project, along with the positive contribution that it has made to the created depth of field…on the plinth floors. One of these courtyards, which shine out as bright spaces covered with skylight on top, has been integrated into the space with a dining hall functionality, which ensured its luminous atmosphere, while the other was planned as the lungs of the building’s volume, carrying inside the exteriors having educational classrooms and the foyer of the entrance lobby. These courtyards also allow the daylight to permeate the open offices located on the first basement plynth floors and the large dividable conference hall with a 500-person capacity. In order for the natural light penetrating the interiors from the small-sized windows of the first basement plynth floor to reach the educational halls situated on the second basement plynth floor, the facades of the skylights found on the first basement plynth floor have been enclosed so as to create light beam volumes. At the heart of the building lies 15 training halls designed in different dimensions and seating arrangements, a dividable conference hall with 500-person capacity as well as a fixed-seating hall with 200 seats, seminar rooms, thematic rooms, online branch, cinema, library and an education unit that was designed in a school format. In addition to these, 3 different fitness centers, leasable areas and two large-scale masjids have been designed within the body of the building…
The natural stones used for the floorings at the entrance lobby were further applied in the same way as the wall coverings, while the ceiling was equipped with a PVC based stretch membrane having the same texture. In addition to these, the information desk designed once again with the same material structure, gives the impression as it is formed of a piece of the flooring… The wall that sets out from the behind of the information desk, moves along the central core that divides the lobby and the café space right behind it, was coated with black glazing in order to create a sense of depth throughout the space. In this way, the natural stone materials flowing through the line of floorings and walls are interrupted only at the behind of the desk, thus highlighting the information desk itself… Natural Stone: Basalt Quarry: Kayseri Basalt Basalt was used on two floors housing the plinth levels of the building. These areas include the dining hall and recreational/socializing (break-out) spaces, which are generally designed through a courtyard concept. The stone was opted for both the planning that accentuates open spaces and a garden atmosphere, and having a textured black surface as well as being an outdoor material. In a similar way, it was used in combination with the natural and unpolished wood deck in two spaces that were created as a glazed opening so as to receive daylight via the roof. These spaces were designed as a dining hall and a social space, respectively. This intervention was made for the employees and other users to feel as if they are in nature, rather than being in an enclosed indoor space… CREDITS
Project Location: Ümraniye/İstanbul Project Year: 2015-2017 Construction Area: 60,559 sqm Interior Design: A. Sinan Timoçin and Serkan İğdelipınar Interior Design Consultancy and Site Control: M-Ofis Architects Project Team: Merve Taşlıoğlu, Başak Cebe, Hazalcan Uçak, Fatih Korkmaz, Elif Botsalı, Ceylan Özkut Hızarcı, Gizem Özer, Okan Emir Yarka, Serkan Çekiç, Erkan Tural, Damla Arıbaş Ulukol, Yasemin Ak, Anıl Gülmez, Seray Arıkan, Çağlar Barış, Muharrem Çay, Arzu Hamzaoğlu and Ece Kavalcı Client: Türkiye Finans Participation Bank Project Management: ee-İstanbul Proje Yönetim Architectural Design Project: AS/OS Architecture – Aktuğ Sivrioğlu Mechanical Project: MCA Yapı Engineering Electricity Project: Frekans Elektrik Contractors: Sistema, Oğuz Bayazıt Architecture Fire Safety Consultant: Etik Engineering – Kazım Beceren Acoustics Consultant: Duyal Karagözoğlu Audio-Visual Systems Consultant: Atempo Lighting Consultant: ZLUX Lighting Photographs: Gürkan Akay Natural Stone Works Contractor: Trestone Natural Stone
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