CIVIC CORE / İLAYDA ARSLAN

Civic Core, reinterprets the municipality in Sivas not merely as an institution providing administrative services, but as a transparent, accessible, and active urban center that continuously engages with the city and participates in public life. The municipal building is conceived as a multifunctional civic focus where decision-making processes become visible, different user groups can come together, and citizens can be involved in everyday urban experience. The main concept of the project, “Connection,” is rooted in the layered historical and cultural heritage of Sivas. Sivas has hosted numerous civilizations such as the Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman periods; through this historical continuity, the city has generated a rich cultural diversity and a strong collective memory. The architecture, traditions, production practices, and particularly the culinary culture of the city are tangible reflections of this multilayered structure. The geographically indicated products of the region are not only economic assets but also carriers of cultural identity. Therefore, gastronomy in the project is addressed not merely as a practice of consumption, but as a social and cultural medium that connects the past and present of the city. A primary objective of the design is to reduce the distance between the municipality and the citizens and to make local government a natural part of everyday life. Supporting the more active participation of disadvantaged groups—such as women, the elderly, and children—in public life forms the social backbone of the project. Accordingly, the program includes municipal units together with a conference hall, a daycare center, educational kitchens, workshop spaces, and memory kitchens for the elderly. These spaces are designed as learning- and production-oriented environments where different generations can meet and share experiences. The spatial organization structured around production, learning, and sharing positions the municipality at the center of urban life while creating opportunities for new social relations. Through open, permeable, and inviting public spaces, the building transforms from a place of service into a vibrant meeting point that strengthens the sense of belonging to the city. In this way, the project proposes an inclusive and integrative urban center model that brings together diverse user groups and reinforces social cohesion in Sivas.