Building designed through integration with the park area next to it in Osmaniye, Bakırköy has technical equipment which can serve small staff size operas or as a theater, and concert or conference hall.
The pedestrian road and the park next to the building are united with the lot, creating a square/area needed for people to socialize in the urban texture.
The building affords the opportunity of bringing the circulation in the square to the third dimension by the open walk ramps on the square front, allowing access to the square also from the floors with connections.
The activities going on at the square may be viewed from this area which can itself be transformed into a show platform.
The giant screen on the western front can reflect what goes on on stage instantly. Hence, art is truly open to the public instead of remaining behind closed doors. Also, those who cannot pay the price remaining distant to this culture for any reason whatsoever is not alienated/marginalized.
Lastly, the ramp with metal uprights seeks to create a continuous light shadow dance/play with the stone surface right behind and the motion in time by the sun on the inner foyer wall and the reflections on the pool below.
The stage lies on the floor below the entrance at the hall which can seat nine hundred ten with the balcony; the foyers on all three floors connected to the hall also serve as exhibition areas. The top floor above the hall has a kids club, hobby studios and a small café.
The building, beside serving as a nursery, will host small children of families that wish to view evening events. At the building, with accommodates administration offices on its first floor, has showers and dressing rooms for artists on the first and second basement floors, with a car park on the third basement floor.
A BUILDING WHICH IS A STAGE ON ITS OWN: LEYLA GENCER OPERA AND ART CENTER
“NATURAL STONE USED IN MOST OF ISTANBUL PUBLIC BUILDINGS IS A LONG LIVING MATERIAL; AND IN THE NAME OF TRADITION WE USED TRAVERTINE AT LEYLA GENCER OPERA AND ART CENTER…”
Like many phenomena in our day, architecture too is assessed by products and even the visuals of such products. This style of perception/assessment, which is on the rise thanks to the social media, must be one of the indicators of the yet unnamed period of the human history…
As an architect who cannot adapt easily to this transition period, I can’t bear excluding the existence processes of buildings and the experiences these present, are excluded from assessment. This is exactly why I talked to the architect of the project Cemal Mutlu to understand Leyla Gencer Opera and Art Center.
Bakırköy Municipality held a competition with invitation for a new art center in 2011; participants were designated by teams of the Municipality and Optimus Mimarlık was selected to design the building.
Mutlu says that adaptation of the project to its site is an important piece of the design concept, adding that he had a contribution especially on the hard structure himself, to ensure that each corner of the project and even the landscape are all integrated.
The relationship of the building with the existing park space and the pedestrian road in front of it was considered. A square was formed, eliminating this road. The purpose of the project where the building itself is a stage on its own, was to draw the interest of those who are a little tentative towards performance arts. The arrangement of the square and park transformed into a public area where people will assemble, leads the important elements of the project. The ramp in front of the building actually serves as an outdoor stage with steps, turning into an amphitheater project.
The entirety of the area except setbacks has been used on the project lot. For acoustic performance, the wooden unit was designed for the concert hall, forming two concentric boxes with the natural stone unit covering the circulation around it and other spaces.
The requirements program of the project, the foundation of which was laid in 2012, was prepared by the architect. The building offers a multi-purpose hall serving approximately 900 people, the backstage, indoor car park, joinery, storehouses, administrative units, service areas, offices, a nursery and a café.
Cemal Mutlu plays the konga, he notes that his involvement with hi-fi and music has contributed to the project. The electronic and natural acoustics of the hall, which was asked to be multi-purpose by the client, was an important topic. Drawing attention to the fact that each function has a different way of calculation for acoustic design, Mutlu states that climatization of the hall is highly important in terms of sound.
There is a museum prepared for the state fine artist at the building named after “La Diva Turca”, aka Leyla Gencer. Leyla Gencer Home, which was in IKSV’s Şişhane building since 2010, bearing traces of diva’s life in Milan; is moved to the building and it is said that it will be open in a short time.
One of the most interesting elements of the building is the Leyla Gencer statue authored by Bihrat Mavitan and Ümit Öztürk…
Natural stone, steel, glass and wood have been used in the building. Cemal Mutlu says that natural stone used in most of Istanbul’s public buildings is a long living material; and in the name of tradition, he used travertine at Leyla Gencer Opera and Art Center.
In selection of travertine, the voids of which turn into a visual festival when sanded, its texture has played an important role…
Mutlu notes that he has observed that the building has been changed rapidly by its owners after it was launched; and wonders if this applies to all designed cultural buildings…
Leyla Gencer heykeli, Bihrat Mavitan ve Ümit Öztürk
NATURAL STONE: TRAVERTINE
QUARRY: AFYON
CREDITS
Project Location: Osmaniye, Bakırköy, Istanbul
Architectural Office: Optimus Architects Design Consultancy and Mozaik
Design Team: Cemal Mutlu and Türkiz Özbursalı
Project Team: Ferhat Sürek, Ecem Kocaarslan and Ali Derya Mutlu
Statics: C Yapı
Electrical: Sanayi Engineering
Mechanical: AKS Proje Building Control Group
Client: Bakırköy Municipality
Main Contractor: Muzaffer Oflazt
Lighting Design: Elekon Aydınlatma
Acoustics: PRO Sistem ve Optimus Architects Design Consultancy
Installation: AKS Proje Building Control Group
Interior Design: Optimus Architects Design Consultancy
Landscape: Optimus Architects Design Consultancy
Consultant: Cemal Mutlu
Design Period: 2011 – 2012
Construction Period: 2012 – 2014
Lot Area: 6,843 sqm
Total Construction Area: 12,000 sqm
Photographs: Mahmut Ceylan – 2014
Selin Biçer / Architect
