Cultural centre structures are crucial as they unite communities and nourish them socially, artistically, and culturally. This article is about Turkey‘s 10 remarkable Cultural centre structures that serve performance, concert, theater, congress, and research.
Culture and arts allow individuals to develop themselves and enrich themselves emotionally. Cultural centre structures have been built for people to socialize collectively and improve themselves in areas such as culture and art. These structures are at the centre of life, where various events are organized. Cultural structures that allow a society to preserve and develop its cultural and artistic richness with many different units, such as theaters, concert halls, movie theaters, exhibition areas, workshops, conference halls, libraries, cafes, and restaurants, are remarkable structures that support social and cultural interaction.
Cultural structures are not only places where events take place but also determine the silhouettes of cities with their very diverse architectures. These structures can be designed by restoring a historical structure and re-functioning it, or they can be built from scratch in a way that will adapt to the environment in which they are located. In designing these structures, which have different functions, such as theater halls, exhibition areas, and libraries, factors such as acoustics, lighting, audience capacity, and ease of use are considered.
Many Cultural centre structures are built with different architectures in many cities of Turkey and serve different functions.
Here are 10 remarkable cultural centre structures in Turkey:
Ataturk Cultural centre (AKM)
Location: Beyoğlu,Istanbul Turkey
Architect: Tabanlıoğlu Architects
Year: 2021
The Cultural Centre, which was opened in 1969 under the name of Istanbul Cultural Palace and suffered heavy damage due to fire, was reopened in 2021 under the name of Atatürk Cultural Centre. This centre is one of the remarkable cultural structures of Turkey , has preserved its historical texture and gained a modern appearance with the renovation process. The new structure, comprising the main opera house building and spaces for artistic and cultural performances, has been divided into two sections.
The main element of the iconic facade of this cultural complex facing Taksim Square is the Opera Hall, designed as a giant sphere covered with 15 thousand ceramic pieces. The hall, made in the shape of a horseshoe to provide the best natural acoustics, has a total capacity of 2040 spectators with its partner and two balconies. The movable ceiling lighting, featuring glass pieces produced with a special blowing method explicitly designed for the AKM, can be completely retracted into the ceiling during performances. In addition to the gigantic spherical opera house, the second section of the AKM, known as the “culture street,” houses a gallery, a children’s art centre, a music platform, a library, a cinema, stores, cafes, and restaurants.
Steel was primarily preferred in the structural system of the structure, especially the sphere where unique steel elements were used. This Cultural centre structures, which has modern and contemporary architecture with its transparent structure that can be seen from the outside, offers a flexible use opportunity with spaces designed to host different events.
IKSV “SALON”
Location: Şişhane,Istanbul Turkey
Architect: CM Architecture/ Cem Sorguç
Year: 2010
The multi-purpose performance venue of IKSV, located in the historical Deniz Palas building in Istanbul, is one of the remarkable cultural structures of Turkey . Designed to accommodate a wide range of events, including concerts, theater performances, dance shows, and panel discussions, Salon can be adapted to suit various seating arrangements. Preserving the building’s historical fabric while adhering to modern architectural principles, the design exposes the circular steel columns and beams that form the building’s skeleton. The stairs leading to the upper floor, the bar, and the control desk were redesigned to integrate with the space and a storage area was built under the stairs to provide easy access to the control room. With the minimalist approach adopted in the interior design, the focus of the events became the stage and performance. Salon İKSV, which significantly contributes to Istanbul’s cultural life, is a remarkable example of how an industrial building can be transformed into a thriving cultural space.
bAKSM (Beylikdüzü Atatürk Culture and Art centre)
Location: Beylikdüzü,Istanbul Turkey
Architect: SO? Architecture and ideas
Year: 2018
The bAKSM, which emerged due to renovating the existing 20,000 m² Cultural centre structures, is a remarkable cultural structure. The wooden extension and steel structure staircase, which acts as a vertical garden added to the existing building, provide a strong entrance image and create a shortcut for circulation between different spaces. Gardens are distributed around the atrium and are covered with a glass roof. The atrium, once a large void, is now illuminated by natural light from the glass roof and, together with the surrounding seating and resting areas, nourishes the building’s vibrant atmosphere.
Serving multiple functions such as a multi-purpose hall, library, play area, workshops, studios, and cinema halls, bAKSM achieves good acoustics in its interior spaces through plywood and opaque glass for its interior walls and ceilings. The exterior facade of the old cultural structure, which did not allow for natural ventilation and sunlight, has been renovated with a focus on the physical requirements of activity areas and is clad with a thin layer of corten steel.
TED Ankara College Foundation Performing Arts Centre
Location: Incek,Ankara, Turkey
Architect: Uygur Architects
Year: 2017-2020
As one of the remarkable Cultural centre structures in Turkey, the TED Ankara College Performing Arts Centre is located on the TED Ankara College campus. Designed in harmony with the other campus structures, the performing centre is located southwest of the sports-art street at the end of the existing campus plan. In this way, the structure, which provides integrity within the campus without damaging the existing texture, was designed with care to leave the feeling of being added to the circulation route on the campus.
Conceived as an eye-opening outward and an embrace inviting inward, the building’s southwestern facade features a terrace functioning as an open foyer. The 1500-seat performance centre, formed by sculpting a rectangular prism into a sculptural form, exudes a modern and warm ambiance through the wood. The wooden facades, which are triangulated at different angles, become the scene of light and shadow playing outside with light movements on the surfaces.
Designed in harmony with the natural topography, this cultural structure offers the audience an experience under a warm cover in an open space. Greek theaters inspire the fan-shaped auditorium and conforms to the topography’s slope. This large-capacity hall can be divided into smaller spaces using movable partitions. In addition to the performance area, the TED Ankara College Performing Arts Centre, which has become a multi-purpose structure with spaces with functions such as a workshop rehearsal room and social areas, is a remarkable cultural structure integrated with the campus and respectful of the natural environment.
Ankara Chamber of Commerce Congress Centre (Congresium)
Location: Söğütözü,Ankara, Turkey
Architect: A Architectural Design
Year: 2010
Congresium, a multi-purpose show and congress hall complex that hosts many art events and national and international fairs throughout the year, is a remarkable cultural structure. The square designed in front of the centre, graded per the topography, provides a separate entrance to the building from a higher level. ATO Congress centre, which has three restaurants, a 4700 m² panoramic terrace, an auditorium with a capacity of 3107, and a closed parking lot, is designed for multi-purpose use. Two main exhibition halls connected by a 12-meter-wide inner street are on the ground floor. The exhibition hall partition walls, designed to create broad and spacious spaces with column-free openings, are movable; thus, they can be divided into different combinations and provide flexible use. The cultural structure, which includes an auditorium with a capacity of 3200 people, a ballroom, press and VIP halls, and the exhibition halls, offers an ideal environment for events with sound and visual systems, lighting, and stage mechanisms.
The Congress centre, constructed with natural stone, glass, and steel, features white composite panels lining the joints between the stone cladding. The façade, composed of a combination of transparent and colored glass and the steel frame, gives the impression of a completely transparent building when viewed together with the roof. The floor patterns in the atrium, designed with colored marble, reflect the design of the roof.
Ataturk Opera and Concert Hall and Merinos Park
Location: Merinos,Bursa, Turkey
Architect: Cafer Bozkurt
Year: 2006-2010
Bursa’s largest congress and Cultural centre structure, the Atatürk Opera and Concert Hall, was built in the area where the Merinos Yarn Factory opened in 1938 was located within Merinos Park. Integrated with the factory building and the park, the cultural centre houses a 1,680-seat opera and ballet hall, an 840-seat conference and performance hall, a 400-seat symphony orchestra hall, a 1,000-seat ballroom, exhibition spaces, cafeterias, and more. The halls, established with a technological and acoustic structure that will allow the most comprehensive organizations to take place, have features such as a movable orchestra pit and a sliding stage.
This structure, an important social-cultural centre for Bursa, has a wide metal upper canopy. The main and side foyers spread over an initial area of 3800 m², are integrated with the Yarn Factory and the green nature of the Merinos Park with a completely transparent façade. The Atatürk Opera and Concert Hall closes the eastern facade of the Merinos Factory, which has been transformed into a cultural centre encompassing a conservatory, galleries, library, and silk museum. The building, designed with the factory as a reference, meets the pedestrian approach from the east and directs the flow of people towards the park, creating a new urban space. The Atatürk Opera and Concert Hall preserves the historical texture and adopts contemporary architecture, which is a remarkable cultural structure in Turkey.
Abant Izzet Baysal Unıversity Social Centre
Location: Abant,Bolu, Turkey
Architect: Atelier E
Year: 2004-2005
Designed to develop university student’s personal and social lives, the centre is a remarkable cultural structure. With its modern and contemporary architecture, the social centre reflects the dynamic structure of the university. Designed with careful consideration of the site’s location and topography, the stepped design connects the upper entrance and the lower landscape terrace, providing a space for both programmed and spontaneous activities. Designed to meet the various needs of students with different functions such as a studio, workshop, social areas, and library, this cultural structure has become an easily accessible social centre with its central location.
The building is brick-clad, with large, fully retractable glass panels on the entrance and landscape facades to provide natural light. Smaller openings on other facades emphasize the building’s solid mass. The ground floor is clad in andesite to create a street-like atmosphere. As an environmentally friendly and student-centered building, the Abant Izzet Baysal University Social centre is one of the remarkable Cultural centre structures that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art centre (AASSM)
Location: Güzelyalı,Izmir Turkey
Architect: Tozkoparan Architecture
Year: 2008
The art centre, named after the famous Turkish composer Ahmed Adnan Saygun, is a remarkable cultural structure that significantly contributes to Izmir’s cultural life. Designed by architect Tevfik Tozkoparan, this cultural complex was created by transforming an old trolleybus garage and maintenance workshop into a center for artistic activities. Spanning 29,500 m², the complex houses a 1,130-seat grand hall, a 244-seat small hall, five exhibition halls, and a 460-square-meter outdoor performance area. With its acoustic design by ARUP, this structure, which is one of the best art centres in Turkey, has ideal acoustic properties for the performances that take place. This cultural framework, aligned with the urban fabric of its surroundings, offers a platform for communication and interaction that unites artists and the community.
Türkan Şoray Cultural Centre
Location: Muratpaşa, Antalya Turkey
Architect: Node Architects, Nous Architecture, Rasa Studio
Year: 2018
Considering the Mediterranean climate’s requirements, this multi-purpose hall is a remarkable cultural structure in Antalya. Situated in a medium-density residential area, the cultural centre is a bridge within the urban fabric. Türkan Şoray Cultural centre, which includes units such as a workshop, foyer-exhibition area, art street, social activity terrace, instrument-stage storage, orchestra, rehearsal rooms, management offices, and parking lot, in addition to its 658-person halls, was planned to bring together the city’s residents and the hall users. The workshop and rehearsal rooms opening from the courtyard to Art Street allow users to benefit from all services on a single level. In order to enable city users to benefit from the structure in summer and winter, day and night, the front public space, enriched with a restaurant and viewing platform, holds all units together with the activity courtyard.
Thanks to the designed upper terrace walking platforms, it is aimed for users to benefit from open and semi-open platforms in addition to artistic activities. Based on the idea that socialization activities take place after sunset due to Mediterranean climate conditions, the trees in the area were preserved, and the Cultural centre structure was designed like a sunshade.
Constructed with exposed concrete, the cultural building becomes a public object with its open design. The design approach, which is based on revealing the materials and the entire construction system as they are, integrates the load-bearing system, acoustic arrangement, and engineering infrastructure with the roof in an open manner. Encouraging users to participate in activities not only in programmed artistic events but also in open and semi-open spaces, the cultural centre structure stands out as a remarkable cultural centre structure.
Selçuklu Congress centre
Location: Selçuklu, Konya Turkey
Architect: Tabanlıoğlu Architects
Year: 2017
One of the remarkable cultural structures in Turkey, the Selçuk Congress Center offers a successful combination of modern and traditional Turkish architecture. The congress center, which consists of different masses with different functions under a single roof, includes a congress hall with a balcony in the form of an amphitheater, a theater hall, a ballroom, a pocket cinema, meeting spaces, thematic shops and restaurants and cafes that share open, semi-open and closed foyer spaces. Among the main spaces, the ballroom consists of three sections that can be combined when necessary.
The geometric patterns and light-shadow games used on the cultural structure’s exterior, which significantly contribute to Konya’s silhouette, reflect the characteristic features of Seljuk architecture. The skylights on the roof illuminate the foyers located between the main volumes. An electronic screen positioned on the facade of the Congress Center facing the square serves as a visual tool to announce events and programs to the public.
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