Project Description
TOSYALI HOLDING COMPANYHEADQUARTERS
Algeria, which was under the domination of Ottoman Empire between 16th and 19th century and of France in the 19th century, has an eclectic urban texture formed by these different cultural effects. While the traces of Ottoman period faded away to a great extent in time, buildings carrying the traces of Ottoman architecture with their courts, pavilions, cloisters and semi-open spaces continue their existence in some parts of the city.
Owing to both its being a type of spatial installation imprinted on the memories of the residents and its climatic characteristics, that sense of yard-type structuring, which is very common in the local architecture of the region, has been embraced as the key considerations in the design of Tosyalı Holding Company Headquarters conceptualized by Bakirkure Architects in Oran, Algeria.
An alive identity has been enabled by creating an inner world with the help of an inner court, landscaping and water elements inside the building which is situated in a massive factory field and has an environment not suitable for providing architectural connections.
The facede components of the building, of whose design determinations are formed by a fact of simplicity, are regarded as the most important architectural factors under the influence of the climatic characteristics of its geographical position. In this regard, woodworkings are highlighted as structural elements both dynamizing the structure and having a shading function
Materials selection of Tosyalı Holding Company Headquarters, which is aimed to have a modern architectural identity without losing its harmony with the cultural context of the location it is settled, is regarded as a fundamental factor in the pursuit of localness. Instead of clunky and garish materials, the mass integrity of the construction is generated by materials which will emphasize the simplicity.
Tosyalı Holding Company Headquarters is constructed from 5 blocks: 3 main blocks, 1 entrance block and 1 core block. 2 of the main blocks consist of administrative floor and open and closed offices, on each of which there are 4 office floors; and in the 3rd main block, a single-storey separable-system conferance hall with 200-person capacity is positioned. The core block is designed to provide a common service area having all these functions.
While the eaves which is used to connect the mentioned blocks in a common platform, to characterize the entrance and the block that is a separate welcoming block, to create a protective shield in semi-open spaces againts sun, wind and wind-borne dust arising from the climatic conditions are put forward as the most dominant architectural element of the construction, the mechanical external units are undetectably hiden in the garret attic.
The construction process of Tosyalı Holding Company Headquarters, which will be providing a comfortable working and socialization space for a 150-member team with its offices and socialization areas in a 4.500 m2 construction field in total, is planned to be completed in spring 2017.
Architect: Gurhan Bakirkure
Project Team: Mehmet Ay, Samprie Chatziachmet
Location of the Project: Oran/Algeria
Employer: Tosyalı Holding Company
Contractor: Bakirkure Architects
Structural Type: Office Building
Project Date: 2015-2016
Construction Field Capacity: 4.500 m²