Location: Ankara, Ulus
Type: Culture, Urban
Area: 12350,00 m²
Team: Baran Yardımcı, Recep Semizoğlu, Damla İçyer, Nergiz Sert
The establishment process of our Republic and the role of Ankara and Ulus in this process formed the basis for the post-Republican phases of the city’s development. The route starting from Ulus in Ankara and advancing to Kızılay and Çankaya under the name Atatürk Boulevard was designed as a republic road in the full sense of the word. The buildings on this road reflect the changes that the Republic has undergone in various areas. In this respect, Atatürk Boulevard is defined as “Republican Architecture Museum” (Baydar, 1992).
In the course of time, Ulus district, which lost its importance in the first years of the Republic to other districts of Ankara (such as Kızılay), still maintains its feature of being the center of certain sectoral activities and the intersection of various transportation axes.
The urban approach to the area has been shaped by the influence of environmental centers. The definition of “Republican Architecture Museum” clearly expresses the structural texture of the area. The project area has been reconsidered as a focus centered on the urban development axis extending to Hacı Bayram-ı Veli and the airport in the north, Ankara Castle in the east, Atatürk Boulevard in the west and “Yenişehir” in the south.
In terms of the project context, the vertical space hierarchy above ground/roof and below ground has been shaped through this urban approach. Ulus Sculpture – Anafartalar Caddesi and Hal Sokak axis were evaluated as the main pedestrian circulation axis for the project area, and the building program was analyzed through the concepts of “urban amphitheater – urban scene”.
The immediate surroundings of the project area have the potential to be supported through Ulus Square and Anafartalar Çarşı Square. Together with the urban amphitheater – urban scene concept envisaged with the project, it is envisaged that the ULUS Modern structure will be integrated with these three squares. It has been suggested that the commercial axis that continues on both sides of the İbadullah Mosque is connected to the main artery by following the nation state and making the mosque and the sloping space around it suitable for urban use. Through these approaches, it is aimed to revitalize the project area in the center of the north-south and east-west axes and to reveal its potential to transform its environment.