Container Park (Mercan)
Location: Ege Üniversitesi Teknopark – İzmir, Türkiye
Architectural Design Team: Engin Ayaz, Nesile Yalçın, Nujen Acar, Elif Karaköse, Buşra Tunç, Berna Erenoğlu
Project Manager: Nesile Yalçın
Interns: Begüm Ural, Batuhan Türker
Visualization: Murathan Sırakaya, Gökhan Gürbüz
Project Team:
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ATÖLYE Labs (architectural design, strategic consulting, sustainability consulting, landscape design, project management, site control)
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Antre Design (architectural consulting)
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STEB (site control)
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Venta Mühendislik (mechanical)
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Sinapsen Elektrik (electrical)
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Methal Mühendislik (static analysis)
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Parça Proje (lighting consulting)
Photography: Yerçekim Architectural Photography
Client: İDEEGE.TGB Teknoloji Geliştirme Bölgesi A.Ş.
Program: Offices, laboratory space, gallery, cafe, eatery restaurant, showroom, exterior terrace and garden
Area: 1000 m² total floor area, 800 m² landscaping
Scope: Core & shell office building (architecture, landscape architecture, engineering) designed with 35 second-hand shipping containers
Timeline: January 2015 – October 2015
Project Narrative
Recognizing that the 21st century promises new productive relationships between education, research, and industry, iDEEGE Technopark A. Ş. approached ATÖLYE Labs about a facility to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and anchor the emerging technopark in the heart of Izmir, a bustling cosmopolis in Western Turkey. The resulting project repurposes 35 second-hand shipping containers to form the centerpiece of a new, vibrant research community on the campus as well as to function as a creative magnet for talent in Ege University, Izmir, and the Aegean region at large.
The 1000m² technopark facility houses independent R&D facilities for large Turkish and international companies focusing on biotechnology, energy, materials, and software research. This program is coupled with strategically situated “catalysts” to increase interaction and collaboration potential among all members of this community.
The project was unique not only in terms of its fast-paced research, design, and construction process (completed within a tight 9-month schedule), but also because the project’s brief, site, and program were developed and refined by the design team itself. Furthermore, key design principles of site-specificity, ecology, and future-proofing helped create a role model for similar institutions in Turkey and beyond.
Design Principles
Site-Specific Design
The project began with the discovery of a dormant site with the rubble of a demolished building amidst the large university campus. By repurposing locally acquired second-hand shipping containers located 12 km away in Izmir port, the design team was able to upcycle an underused site with underused construction materials. The design maximized solar orientation, existing campus circulation routes, wind angles, tree-shaded areas, and the contours of the previous building. This approach crafted a financially viable programmatic division and a fluid user circulation. A vertical ‘beacon’ container, an inner courtyard, narrow cross-circulation corridors, and ample seating spots enable spaces for prospect and refuge, as well as spontaneous encounters and play.
Ecological Design
The project integrates a broad range of ecological strategies. By placing container modules with maximum north-south exposure and narrow cross-sections, the design maximized passive solar strategies and natural ventilation. Existing trees, optimally designed shading devices, solar-coated southern windows, thick insulation, efficient air conditioning, natural materials such as cork, and LED lighting systems all contributed to minimizing the building’s environmental impact.
Future-Proofed Design
The adaptability and resilience of a core & shell building are essential for its long-term success. The project features exposed beams and columns, visible electrical trays, abundant plugs, high-capacity ventilation, locally controllable heating and cooling systems, and a supporting sub-structure for future modifications. These technical details allow for spatial program modifications over time. The design also includes interaction catalysts, alternative layouts, modular furniture, and sections of the container facades that can be used as a canvas for muralists. The project was conceived as a prototype building, enabling a flexible and dynamic environment for the community in Izmir and beyond.
