EMBER OF UNGUT / Khadijah Y. Jamaris
The project envisions a hybrid museum complex embedded within the neighborhood of Üngüt, Kahramanmaraş—conceived as the “Ember of Üngüt,” a place where cultural memory, local craftsmanship, and digital storytelling converge. Inspired by the idea of keeping traditions alive like glowing embers through both physical (past) and digital (future) means.A place to show that Kahramanmaras -and Ungut- can progress despite circumstances. The museum is not confined to a single structure but extends into the fabric of the neighborhood, blurring boundaries between public life, culture, and built environment.
Üngüt’s residential,commercial, and educational surroundings influenced the spatial strategy, which respects existing urban flows while introducing new cultural functions. Both museum and neighborhood design embraces the concept of “centrality” similar to that of a campfire. Hence, courtyards,plazas, and open spaces were key in its designs, and the site was chosen as a means to connect newly developed commercial areas with the existing old neighborhood.
The museum is designed with layered programming: permanent and temporary exhibitions, workshop areas (textiles and fablab), and educational spaces (library and digital studios). Digital interfaces narrate Üngüt’s evolving identity, while physical elements—like textile fabrics, metalworks, and wood carvings—anchor the people’s pride; and digital fabrication of traditional crafts connects them both . The workshop acts as a dynamic extension of the museum, hosting making, learning, and collaboration.
The ground floors of the buildings are kept open and porous, encouraging interaction between inside and outside. These open zones allow for movement, informal gathering, and a stronger relationship between the cultural program and the urban life surrounding it. The museum acts not only as a cultural institution but also as a civic interface—rooted in local heritage, yet forward-looking in form and function.
