Balıkesir Republic Square Social Centre

2026, Balıkesir, Türkiye

Designed as a seamless public space between two different levels, the design seeks to create an urban center for Balıkesir while uniting the scattered public areas around the project site with pedestrian paths, enriching the existing foliage and providing massive underground parking lots to overcome the increasing traffic load.

The project site is directly linked to the historic town square; it was developed during the early Republican era and is home to buildings symbolic of that period (such as military clubs).

The site is situated at the heart of an urban fabric bounded by a stream to the north and a railway line to the south. Thanks to its central location, the site serves as a transport hub. Furthermore, with its historic buildings, it forms an important part of the city’s collective memory.

As can be seen in the density-void diagram, the project site is situated at a key location where the dense urban fabric—comprising diverse functions from the north, west and east—begins to open up; in this context, urban voids suitable for public use are emerging both within the project site and in its immediate vicinity.

The primary objective of the design at the urban scale is to improve the accessibility of existing squares within the project’s area of influence, increase the ratio of shaded and green spaces, and enhance access to surrounding landmarks and the project site. In this context, the connection established via the pedestrian bridge with the sports and recreation zone south of the railway line has been linked to the public spaces in front of the barracks via a pedestrianisation scheme for the area in front of the district governor’s office and a pedestrian/cycle route.

From these squares, axes supported by pedestrian crossings on both the north and south sides of the officers’ club connect to the project site; whilst the southern route connects directly, the northern axis first reaches the building block housing the Cultural Centre and the Devrim Erbil Museum. This block, together with the open space behind it, has been conceived as an ‘Exhibition – Culture’ block. The pedestrian path descending southwards from this block towards the project site leads to the entrance plaza situated in front of the building, which serves as a continuation of the function here and can also function directly as a foyer for the exhibition.

The building is situated along Gazi Boulevard, continuing the urban fabric extending from the north and framing the view of the Historic Officers’ Club, whilst facing the boulevard. Unlike the other buildings on the boulevard, it is set back, creating a square that accommodates the heavy pedestrian traffic coming from the boulevard axis whilst also allowing the art and cultural activities taking place on the ground floor to extend outwards.

Vasıfçınar Street, which runs in a south-west to north-east direction through the project site, weakens the connection between the site and the railway station further to the south due to its heavy traffic and wide carriageway, whilst also causing significant noise and visual pollution. As a solution to this, a short pedestrian underpass has been provided, directly connected to the building’s first basement level and linked to the railway station via ramps at ground level.

The inclusion of commercial units (approximately 10 per cent) in excess of the programme requirements along this underpass ensures that this pedestrian link remains vibrant at all times. Tall trees, to be planted and protected within the project site, form a green barrier positioned between Vasıfçınar Street and the building, providing shade for the building during the summer months whilst also helping to reduce traffic noise to some extent.

At the south-eastern corner of the site, there is a small square designed to accommodate pedestrian traffic coming from the stream and serving as the exit point from the car park. Heading north and west from here, beyond the green barrier, lie the activity meadow and recreation strip that surround the building from other directions. As these areas are directly connected to the ground-floor arcades and commercial units, they significantly enhance the usage potential of those spaces.

The spatial composition of the building emerges from the superimposition of two archetypes in the third dimension: on the ground floor, a row of arcades encircles the building, providing natural shading whilst maximising the interaction between the retail units and the square and landscaped areas.

Within these commercial units are cultural and artistic functions requiring more spacious areas. These functions are served by internal streets that connect directly to urban axes, whilst also benefiting from natural light and ventilation through skylights and gallery voids. Above these functions, at first-floor level, lies an urban courtyard.

The perimeter of this courtyard consists of commercial units that, much like a traditional caravanserai, surround the main public space. These units have been removed from the Boulevard façade and replaced with an urban terrace—offering views of the Officers’ Club, the Railway Station and the Mosque—and an amphitheatre that establishes a connection with the lower level for pedestrians. This has not only made the façade more permeable along the main entrance axis but has also directly linked the building’s public spaces, spread across two levels, to the main pedestrian circulation axis.

In the centre of the urban courtyard, designed as a ‘caravanserai courtyard’, stands a monumental tree – just as in the classical caravanserai archetype. This tree serves both as an architectural element linking the exhibition courtyard below with the upper level, and as a symbol that defines the building’s courtyard, providing seating and relaxation areas in its shade, thereby complementing its functionality with its visual appeal.