Samenvatting

Located in the Bakirkoy neighborhood near the Bosphorus coastline, this project addresses the progressive threat of earthquakes in Istanbul. The demand for a sizable and fully equipped resilience center is met by the transformation of an existing shopping mall, dating from the 1980’s. On the substructure of the parking garage a new urban fabric is erected, integrated with the urban surroundings and providing a double program: one of shops, services and public space, and one serving as a post-disaster resilience center implemented in the same structure. The modular architecture is inspired by the revered old markets in Turkey, which offer both functional space, courtyards for ventilation and public squares cooled with water wells and fountains. The wooden superstructure reintroduces wood as construction material in the city, with reference to the traditional wooden buildings in Istanbul before concrete took command.