Turkish Architects METEKIYAN have shared with us their proposal for the Landmark Project on Cebeli Hill in Antalya, Turkey. Additional images and a description of their proposed arboretum after the break.
CLIMBING TO THE HILL The project is an arboretum proposal for the competition of a symbolic building on the Cebeli Hill in Gazipasa town which is the eastern virgin region of Antalya. Design idea focuses on this virginity of the town with wonderful landscape and special micro climatic conditions. Thanks for the fact that up to now Gazipasa stayed far away from the tourism and urban policies shaping the Mediterranean region of Turkey , the town has preserved its opportunities to serve in the future. Another factor that distinguishes the area is its myriad alternatives of tourism options beside classic ones like sea, sand and sun. Micro climate created by flora is a privilege in itself. As well as providing the qualified agriculture being the main source of livelihood, the diversity of plants leaves their mark on people and makes them feel the ecosystem. The Cebeli Hill, the site for which the proposal designed, is situated on Gazipasa plane and has the view of both Mediterranean Sea and the city settlement. Thanks for that, the hill has a giant potential of being the most important public area of the region.
SYMBOLIZATION OF HERBAL FLORA Considering all these special features of the location, the design idea is bases on creating a symbolic object which makes the pure ecological richness of the city realized instead of leaving behind. The thing to be symbolized should be the landscape itself with its unique herbal flora.
PROPOSED PROGRAM The proposal in an arboretum building composed of open semi-open and closed spaces, which are put on the terraced open-air plants museum on the hill. The restaurant, cafe, meeting hall and open air ceremony area were the given program in the competition brief. These spaces are used as supporting areas for the arboretum.
DESIGN IDEA The idea bases on recovering the site surface with continuous terraced open air plant museum up to the top of the hill where the sculpture like structure is situated. That structure, namely the arboretum building composes the final touch with its spiral form. That gives the sense of climbing to the hill as a part of the landscape. That action of climbing continues even in the building with ramped floors also at the roof garden. The building itself has the role of a passage between surface of the hill and the beautiful city panorama. The design provides this scenario where ever one reaches to the site.
SITE PLAN DECISIONS One another design criteria is the slope analysis of the site which shows two type of characters in different directions. The building is situated in between there areas in order to use that radical change as a dramatic effect for the visitors. Circulation in the building makes people feel the dramatic change in the landscape below. The plan organization also allows people recognize the differing landscape features in four directions.
PROGRAM ORGANIZATION OF SPACES The open spaces are arranged in four parts. The one people use to climb is the terraced open air museum, the second is the terraced garden looking to the sea, the third one is the courtyard surrounded by building and the last is the exhibition roof at top. The terraced open air museum is composed of path where people see hundreds of endemic kinds while climbing towards to top. The terraced garden looking to the Mediterranean Sea is a public entertainment area with a small cafe and the ceremony amphitheater partially under the building. The courtyard is the transition space in between two sides and including the conference hall and closed museum entrance. The inner exhibition spaces are walked with ramps up to the restaurant at top, just before reaching to the last exhibition roof.
In conclusion, the project is designed with the spirit of using the natural landscape to symbolize the region as an unforgettable heaven of plants. The idea is thought to be the right way of promoting Gazipasa known as “silent heaven” to the world.
