‘Radionica Arhitekture’ Sweeps Away All Competition in Istanbul

Good news in view of the success of a Croatian architectural office travels fast from Istanbul! Goran Rako and his team from ‘Radionica arhitekture’ (The Architectural Workshop) have been awarded the First Prize at the international competition for the “Istanbul Disaster Prevention and Education Center.” The competition was initiated by the ThyssenKrupp Group in collaboration with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality under the auspices of the International Union of Architects.

The competition boasts a total of 287 works from 50 countries, and Rako’s ‘RADIONICA ARHITEKTURE’ (Architectural Workshop) was selected as the best among serious contenders by the following panel of judges: architects Rafael de la Hoza and Suh Özkan, Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas and the President of the ThyssenKrupp Elevator Architecture Awards – Javier Del Pozo.

The project team who worked on this competition consists of the following individuals: Sara Jurinčić, Iva Pejić, Iva Peručić, Ana Rako, Goran Rako and Josip Sabolić.

Congratulations to the authors! Continue reading to find out how the architects describe their award-winning project.

The surroundings in which the Istanbul Disaster Prevention and Education Center will be set in are not especially noteworthy, as opposed to the many incredible places in Istanbul. That’s why we’re not too worried about unnecessary blending in with the surroundings. In place of “competing” with large and architecturally inarticulate buildings surrounding the site, we choose “to ignore.”  We’ll then proceed to form a whole new micro-world, equally traditional and contemporary. We’re building a low-rise among tall buildings. We’re establishing new/old rules, proposing a place where both visitors and employees will have access to a small piece of a different, better universe.

The new urban element is actually quite old, its value having been confirmed for centuries as traditional local architecture.

So as not to leave the Center unobservable until coming within close range, a fountain has been set in the pond thus rendering it special and recognizable from afar. The garden is shaped by an athletic trail surrounding it. Individual specific spaces rhythmically alternate on the trail. The ones that’ll be requiring more peace for the students are set on the outer edges, while the others are set on the inner edge, alongside the park.

A park, oasis, yard, playground all at the same time, shade under tree tops, then water in the pond, fish, a fountain, playgrounds for children and adults. The park acts as a hall when the weather holds up, which it does for most of the year in Istanbul.

The building will utilize all available sustainability systems, and we believe it’ll have a trailblazing role in this area.

More on workshop.

I.D.