Arkas Art Alacati was designed by Artı3 Mimarlık with the aim to add a new art-oriented practice to the daily life in Alacati and to offer a strong public space to the city.
The building has an inward space established around a patio. The inward architecture is distinguished by its simple wall surfaces and a solid mass. The ruptures on wall surfaces, the patio gap at the center of the mass and the skylights add a spatial depth to the simple architecture, which constantly changes with the daylight and daytime.
From the existing atmosphere of the city, one joins the artistic actions gradually offered by the building. The main entrance to the building is through the entrance space that opens to the solid stone garden walls in 12500 Sokak. The open area with a reflecting pool and sculptures is a transition between the chaos in the street and the art-oriented practices offered by the building. The entrance canopy across welcomes you into the building.
There are exhibition halls and a café on the ground floor. In the center of the solid mass, there is an event yard surrounded with solid surfaces between two exhibition halls, surprising visitors with a spatial depth as the structure seems to be a single floor building from the outside.
The use of single materials plays an important role in its architecture, which makes the building strong with its simplicity. Denizli travertine was used on exterior and interior facades, courtyard walls, courtyard floors and hard floors in other open areas.
The area where the café is located and the space between two main exhibition halls have exits to the side and back yards. Designed to be a partially open exhibition area and partially a resting and assembly area, the back yard keeps offering visitors different spatial experiences in the open area as well. In the basement, there is a workshop area, a library, an exhibition hall and offices integrated with the event yard. This floor has a rich potential for use in different events thanks to the spatial power of the yard.
The closed area of 2070 square meters embodies an exhibition area of 620 square meters in total, 275 square meters of which is permanent and 225 is time-limited, as well as a workshop area, café, an archive, offices and open exhibition areas of 180 square meters. The open area equals 1620 square meters, 310 of which is the event yard with an amphitheater for 110 people.
Located in a geography like Alacati, where daylight and wind are effective to different degrees in every climate, the building has different sensitivities regarding “energy efficiency”. Natural ventilation and lighting is provided in all main spaces on the ground and basement floors of the building through the courtyard in the building. Controlled natural lighting is achieved through openings on the exterior and interior surfaces and the ceilings of the exhibition halls.
Thanks to the mechanical system natural stone coating applied on the exterior walls of the building, a buffer zone is created between the wall surfaces and external factors. In this way, the building is prevented from being directly affected by adverse climatic conditions. With heat recovery devices preferred in mechanical system solutions, energy savings are achieved, energy costs are reduced and ultimately energy efficiency is achieved. Thanks to the special drainage system used in the building, rainwater collection, accumulation and reuse is possible.