#PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS
competition entry for gulsuyu cemevi by melike altınışık and gül ertekin
in may 2015, the maltepe municipality of istanbul, turkey announced an international competition to build a religious and cultural complex for the country’s alevi population.
the contest challenged architects to create proposals which not only serve contemporary needs of the faith, but also to tie in cultural traditions and history in an accessible way. local architects melike altınışık and gül ertekin were named finalists.
typically, the historical cemevi (alevism place of worship) is a small scale, hard-to-find structure; likely from the oft tense relationships between factions of the islamic faith. due to increasingly large populations of alevi migrating to large cities, the once intimate structures have taken on the look of something more akin to the mega-church.
the concept offers a way of re-designing the contemporary cemevi to reflect more closely the cultural values of the alevi, being: humanism, modesty, socialization, and strong connections to the natural world. altınışık and ertekin do so by bringing the form back down to a human scale, and creating a unified look that doesn’t overlook the faith’s complexity.
religious halls are separated from non-worshipping and cultural center areas by distinct material and physical changes. an intricate mix of roof landscapes, terraces, and courtyards enhances visitors’ experiences, and makes it easier to socialize regardless of on-site location. the concept places cultural sustainability, rather than formal architecture cues, at the core in order to build lively public spaces for education and observance alike.
