Evka-3 Social Center and Transportation Hub

Speed, one of the significant issues of our age, and consequently movement, are central to urban life, especially in metropolises. Transfer centers and stations are the nodal points of this movement. In a metropolis like Izmir, where the speed of daily life has not yet reached critical levels, it is possible for these nodes to establish active, comfortable, and sustainable relationships with urbanites. Adding social, cultural, and recreational activities to these centers, which are used as transit hubs in daily life, and combining all these with a quality architectural environment, is exciting as it provides opportunities for metropolitan people to slow down, stop, and take a breath. The main purpose of this proposal is to slow down the city dweller who is trying to catch the subway or the bus and offer them a coffee and, if possible, a tour of an exhibition. In this context, the entire program is organized around a semi-open street, avoiding a dense, large, and singular structural setup. The social, cultural, and commercial areas are intended to be ‘underfoot’ spaces within the spirit of the transit center.

The project site is surrounded by Ege University main campus and housing areas to the south, the Evka 3 neighborhood to the east and north, and the Izmir-Manisa road to the west. By evaluating the potential provided by pedestrian movement and alternative approaches in the area, which currently serves as a transit center, the primary objectives of the proposal are to establish a sustainable relationship with its immediate surroundings while maintaining the ‘transit station’ feature of the area and to construct an open, lightweight structure that can meet the social-cultural needs of the urbanites.