CATARCHION / ZEYNEP HAZAL ÖZTÜRK

CATARCHION is an architectural intervention designed to address the deep-seated urban fragmentation in Sivas, Turkey. Positioned at a critical threshold where the E-5 motorway historically acts as a socio-physical barrier, the project seeks to dissolve this boundary by transforming a neglected urban void into a permeable, multi-functional Cross-Road. Instead of a monolithic institutional block, the program is deconstructed into five specialized volumes—Municipal Service, Administration, Living Lab, Public Gathering, and Data Center—to ensure maximum ground-level transparency and civic integration.

The heart of the project is the Agora, a central public plaza that facilitates pedestrian flow and fosters spontaneous social interaction. Architecturally, the project is defined by a rigorous vertical hierarchy that balances public accessibility with institutional security. The ground floor serves as the high-traffic interface, housing rapid municipal services, the FabLab, and library entrances. Above, the Red Axis (The Bridge Layer) functions as the complex’s circulatory nervous system, doubling as an elevated gallery space that physically links the economic, cultural, and administrative wings.

A core innovation of CATARCHION is the integration of the Living Lab with the Urban Data Analytics Center (UDAC). By collecting and processing real-time kentsel data, the project functions as an analytical brain for the city, informing municipal decisions in urban planning and public works. While the lower levels promote transparency and civic participation, the upper summit is reserved for private administrative functions and staff welfare amenities, including a nursery and elderly day-care, ensuring a holistic environment for both citizens and employees.

Designed with a robust reinforced concrete structure and high-performance curtain wall systems, the buildings utilize internal courtyards as functional lungs. These voids provide natural daylight, passive ventilation, and biophilic relief, enhancing the micro-climate of the dense specialized zones. Ultimately, CATARCHION redefines the traditional municipality as an Urban Accelerator, synthesizing governance, technology, and community life into a unified kentsel landmark.