Röportaj: Heval Zeliha Yüksel Mimar/ Architect
Fotoğraf: Suat Özcan
INTERVIEW WITH THE ATOLYE 2A FOUNDER ALOS CAVDAR
Could you inform us about the establishment of Atölye 2A and your recent architectural projects and innovations so that our readers can get to know you better?
I graduated from Yıldız Technical University Department of Architecture and worked for a little while in Italy afterwards. After participating in the hotel and resort projects for a long time at my father Tuncay Çavdar’s office, Atölye T Architects, i decided to establish Atölye2a Architects. The current company structure is formed through our cooperation with Kemal Çavdar since 2007. Interior architecture and architectural projects and their implementations, project designing of commercial spaces like hotels and restaurants particularly form our areas of activity. We found the opportunity to examine your recent Zanzibar and housing projects. Thank you for the high quality architectural works.
Could you tell us the story of your project?
We can start with the Zanzibar project… The cooperation between the client and architect and the trust and common sense between the architect and his team form the basis of the work. The journey of design only begins when these relations function properly. What i am trying to create is not a style but a manner of work. I think that i am a mediator between the information i receive and the architectural understanding for the space i design. I know for a fact that there are no ideal projects. This is the good part of the job. Because there is always an effort of nearing and grasping. For me, the essence of my profession reflects none other than this notion.
When you first examined the project, what kind of a space you have envisioned?
Zanzibar was a space where i have been happily visiting over the years and my friendship with our clients used to go back a long way. This state of affair enabled for us to generate the common language and the manner of work. We shaped our journey altogether and managed to freely implement our design ideas and projects. The conceptualized space was in a surprising state due to its form. We aspired to deepen its structure along with semitransparent elements, mirrors and material variations. While moving along the space, the fluctuant sections and the continuity of the materials have been interpenetrated and paved the way for fluidity. Composed of the leaf forms of the used plants, the metal elements have divided the space but also worked up an interrelated connection. The continuity of these details have determined the Zanzibar feeling that we seek for.
What criteria do you comply with when launching your housing projects? What do you think is the trend of today?
Frankly, housing design is a subject which requires to be handled a bit differently from the other subjects of architecture. The designed space needs to reflect the character and taste of the user and the owner should internalize it. Designing a space is actually like telling a story. The client hires you to write his biography but instead of words, you write with architectural elements, fabrics, furnitures and his belongings. The beauty comprises of the entirety of choices. For i have been designing housings for a long time, i unavoi dably keep up with recent trends due to client demands. I think that paying lots of attention to these trends may lead you to false outcomes. Like i stated above, every project needs to be tackled privately and evaluated within its own terms.
What sorts of furnitures and architectural elements do Atölye 2A use? Do you manufacture all by yourself?
We use different details and materials in each project. Natural stone is one of the materials that we can not desist from. Many of the productions are made with our own teams or subcontractors that we have been collaborating for so long. This is extremely important because even if you meticulously build a project that reaches your goal, it won’t appreciated enough when not implemented properly. There is a question that i usually ask for our magazine is mainly on natural stones. Our country is really rich considering the marble resources.
Do you think that this precious material is being used enough and the local is being appreciated? Do you use natural stones? Which natural stones do you prefer the most? I know that our country holds wide options regarding natural stones and i especially follow them. I think that it’s important to pay attention to the design considering the character of the preferred natural stone. False choice, planning and implementation may cause even the most beautiful material to look worthless. Unfortunately, we face these kinds of situations in many projects. That is to say that it’s crucial for the designer to act competent. I ask every architect that we interview about the local/global designers and/or architects that he follows. If you have any, i would be delighted if you have shared with us… Throughout my professional life, i had the chance to see the projects of many architects and meet with them. If i have to give a name, i would say i like Frank Gehry and Jean Nouvel the most among the others.
“ZANZIBAR WAS A SPACE WHERE I HAVE BEEN HAPPILY VISITING OVER THE YEARS AND MY FRIENDSHIP WITH OUR CLIENTS USED TO GO BACK A LONG WAY. THIS STATE OF AFFAIR ENABLED FOR US TO GENERATE THE COMMON LANGUAGE AND THE MANNER OF WORK. WE SHAPED OUR JOURNEY ALTOGETHER AND MANAGED TO FREELY IMPLEMENT OUR DESIGN IDEAS AND PROJECTS.
“WHILE MOVING ALONG THE SPACE, THE FLUCTUANT SECTIONS AND THE CONTINUITY OF THE MATERIALS HAVE BEEN INTERPENETRATED AND PAVED THE WAY FOR FLUIDITY. COMPOSED OF THE LEAF FORMS OF THE USED PLANTS, THE METAL ELEMENTS HAVE DIVIDED THE SPACE BUT ALSO WORKED UP AN INTERRELATED CONNECTION. THE CONTINUITY OF THESE DETAILS HAVE DETERMINED THE ZANZIBAR FEELING THAT WE SEEK FOR.”
“I THINK THAT IT’S IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE DESIGN CONSIDERING THE CHARACTER OF THE PREFERRED NATURAL STONE. FALSE CHOICE, PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION MAY CAUSE EVEN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MATERIAL TO LOOK WORTHLESS. UNFORTUNATELY WE FACE THESE KINDS OF SITUATIONS IN MANY PROJECTS. THAT IS TO SAY THAT IT’S CRUCIAL FOR THE DESIGNER TO ACT COMPETENT.”
ZANZIBAR LOCATED IN ZORLU CENTER AT THE BRIDGE FLOOR, ZANZIBAR HOLDS RATHER SPACIOUS AREAS. PROVIDING SERVICE TO ITS CUSTOMERS ALONG WITH ITS INNER SPACE THAT INTRODUCES SITTING AREAS AND OPEN SPACE, ZANZIBAR OFFERS A SPACE WHERE ART ENTHUSIASTS CAN MEET WITH THEIR FRIENDS BEFORE OR AFTER SHOWS ALONG WITH ITS PRIVATE SPACE FACING THE FOYER OF THE ZORLU PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. PUT INTO SERVICE WITH ITS SPECIAL ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, THE DECORATION OF ZANZIBAR BELONGS TO ALOŞ ÇAVDAR, THE CREATOR OF TIMELESS SPACES. ALOŞ ÇAVDAR DELIVERS HIS SENSE OF DESIGN SPECIFIC TO THE SPACE AND HIS UNIQUE CHARACTER IN COMPANY WITH STYLISH DETAILS THAT ALSO CREATE A WARM ATMOSPHERE.
The conceptualized space was in a surprising state due to its form. We aspired to deepen its stucture along with semitransparent elements, mirrors and material variations. 
AKN HOUSE The apartment located in Maç ka has been completely pulled down and refurbished. Floors have been covered with natural stone (Brush Emperador Grey). All the stones are local. They have also been used in the bathrooms.
Designing a space is actually like telling a story. The client hires you to write his biography but instead of words, you write with architectural elements, fabrics, furnitures and his belongings. The beauty comprises of the entirety of choices.
Located in Arnavutköy, the duplex apartment has been pulled down and refurbished. Natural stones have been used in the kitchen and bathrooms.
“Frankly, housing design is a subject which requires to be handled a bit differently from the other subjects of architecture. The designed space needs to reflect the character and taste of the user and the owner should internalize it.
