yazgan design architecture connects ankara arena sports hall with city

yazgan design architecture connects ankara arena sports hall with city
all images courtesy of yazgan design architecture

featuring a curved transparent façade, the ‘ankara arena sports hall’ by turkish firm yazgan design architecture connects to its surroundings with a large urban plaza that serves as both a meeting point and an event space. located in the center of the old city of ankara in turkey, the 53.000 sqm structure contains enough space to hold 10.000 people and is nestled in between historical buildings such as the 1st. parliament, parachute tower and turkish state railway station. a pedestrian axis is surrounded by trees on both sides and has been conceived to form a relationship between the area with the nearby ataturk cultural center and youth entertainment park.

aerial view showing the building in its context

the multipurpose center has no boundaries such as fences or gates, it has been fully integrated to be part of the city with plazas and walkways. large panels of glazing along the exterior increase a visual connection to the arena, while a series of terraces on certain levels were integrated to offer views back over the city. 

the building has a transparent façade

wanting to increase people’s arrival through public transport, the number of car parking spaces has been kept to a minimum. various elements were built up in layers from the outside to the interior, increasing a sense of depth from the exterior to the foyer walls behind. although the hall has been developed mainly for sports activities, it also functions as a place for cultural activities and concerts.

the interior lights up from within at night

exterior view showing entrance, tension rods, white horizontal sunshades, orange vertical sunshades, curtain wall

(left) white horizontal sunshades
(right) colored elements of interior

interior view of the hall

diagram

sections

project info:

location: cumhuriyet caddesi, altındağ, ankara, turkey
employer: turkish basketball federation
project date: 2009
construction date: 2010
total construction area: 55.000 m²
design consultants: ersin ersoy, sport concepts london
architectural project: yazgan design architecture
structural project: probi construction project computing inc. – fikret berker
mechanical project: gmd engineering co. ltd.
electrical project: gmd engineering co. ltd.
acoustical project: mezzo studio architectural acoustics – prof. dr. mehmet çalışkan
interior design project: yazgan design architecture co. ltd.
landscape project: yazgan design architecture co. ltd.
contractor: turkerler construction inc.
construction type: reinforced concrete, steel
photography credits with dates: yunus özkazanç 2010, cemal emden 2010, e. polat demirtaş 2010
project awards: 2011 nominee for european union prize for contemporary architecture mies van der rohe award and cityscape awards for architecture in the emerging markets, dubai -2nd prize

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