Merzifon Municipality Business and Social Center

National Architectural Design Competition Proposal

Design Team: Berke Hatipoğlu, Güliz Özorhon, İlker Fatih Özorhon

Assistants: Mert Aydın, Tamer Kumaş, A. Enes Türkönder

Function /
The design is shaped around an open public space—the C O U R T Y A R D—which brings all functions together. Establishing an active relationship with its surroundings from almost every direction on the ground level, the courtyard is planned specifically to allow for the continuity of pedestrian movement from Republic Square. In essence, the courtyard defines an open entrance space where all functions converge.
This area serves as a new center that hosts daily shopping activities, meetings, conversations, and encounters, while providing spatial opportunities for various cultural activities. In this way, the Business and Life Center contributes to the revitalization of the city center.
From the courtyard, access is provided to the ground-floor commercial units (shops, PTT, Bank, and municipal service unit), as well as the office and life center entrances. Furthermore, the use of open public space at the ground level is extended to the first-floor level via an inviting staircase, continuing with indoor/outdoor seating areas and a restaurant.
Mass /
The characteristics of the S I T E were decisive in shaping the mass, which is planned as a whole that integrates different functions. What is meant by "site" here refers both to the fragmented and dynamic language formed by the assembly of neighboring buildings and the unique character inherent in the local architecture. This two-layered reading of the site's architectural heritage and memory has resulted in an innovative interpretation of the local context. Consequently, the design establishes a modern relationship with its surroundings.
Through a fragmented spatial organization in both horizontal and vertical planes, the functions within the architectural program—each possessing different dynamics—both distinguish themselves through their own identities and exist as integral parts of a unified whole.