To break away from the modernist templates that have dominated the architectural landscape over the past half-century, Turkish architects have begun to take inspiration from diverse sources: installation art, Donald Judd and arboriculture, to name a few. These developments have coincided with the recent increase in the number of foreign architects working in partnership with local firms. Aside from which, the industry in general has spurred a serious appreciation for the country’s magnificent Ottoman heritage and a movement of mourning following last century’s indiscriminate destruction of many important buildings. The result here in Turkey is a rapidly evolving architectural scene - not a given, but a happy consequence of the country experiencing the highest economic growth of any nation in the G20, China included, in the first quarter of 2011

Raif Dinckok Yalova Cultural Centre, Yalova, by Emre Arolat Architects
Yalova has a prized natural environment but also a harsh industrial landscape, and those two sides of its character meet in Emre Arolat’s design. The internal spaces - including a 600-capacity multipurpose meeting place, a workshop, wedding and exhibition rooms, a library, office and cafeteria - boast unique geometries that can just be made out through the metallic façade. Inside, the building is surprisingly transparent, reminding one of David Chipperfield’s Des Moines public library, as you follow the ramp that connects the masses to each other and creates a sheltered inner street
www.emrearolat.com
Photography: Cemal Emden
Yalova has a prized natural environment but also a harsh industrial landscape, and those two sides of its character meet in Emre Arolat’s design. The internal spaces - including a 600-capacity multipurpose meeting place, a workshop, wedding and exhibition rooms, a library, office and cafeteria - boast unique geometries that can just be made out through the metallic façade. Inside, the building is surprisingly transparent, reminding one of David Chipperfield’s Des Moines public library, as you follow the ramp that connects the masses to each other and creates a sheltered inner street
www.emrearolat.com
Photography: Cemal Emden